Montana Commissioner Slams FCC on USF Accountability
A state commissioner slammed the FCC as the Montana Public Service Commission voted 5-0 Thursday to recertify 26 eligible telecom carriers to receive rural broadband funding from the federal USF. The PSC said in a news release that it expects…
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the decision to bring in about $100 million to the state. “While federal pre-emption has greatly limited the PSC’s regulatory authority over telecoms, we do retain the responsibility for certifying the eligibility of Montana companies for FCC broadband build-out support,” said GOP Commissioner Roger Koopman. “In my opinion, that certification process carries with it the responsibility for ensuring that these funds are spent wisely and in accordance with the law’s intent. The feds have, up until now, totally dropped the ball on the reporting and tracking of these expenditures, making it all the more important for the PSC to step up and do the job, on behalf of both the taxpayer and the beneficiaries of this program.” The FCC strengthened reporting requirements for the coming year, noted Koopman, calling it “a welcomed development after years of complacency and neglect.” NARUC and some states are challenging the new process for designating national Lifeline broadband providers that allows parties to bypass state eligible telecom carrier reviews (see 1606030053 and 1607010057). The FCC declined comment.