Okla. Commission OKs State USF Update
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission voted 3-0 Thursday to approve final emergency rules to implement state legislation aimed at modernizing the Oklahoma Universal Service Fund. The law, signed May 9 by Gov. Mary Fallin (R), made administrative tweaks and updated the…
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OUSF to account for technology changes, including a provision requiring interconnected VoIP providers to contribute. Per Oklahoma rules, the commission order still needs approval by the governor. At the OCC’s meeting, Chairman Bob Anthony called for strong auditing of the fund, saying the rules should specify that government officials can call for a special audit, paid for by the OUSF, when appropriate. “I have made the statement numerous times that we have overpaid out of this program millions of dollars,” he said. The new law is a step forward for the OUSF, emailed Deborah Sovereign, chief financial officer of Kellogg & Sovereign, a consulting firm that advises schools and libraries on the E-rate program. “Once fully implemented, we expect the fund demand to decrease."