AT&T Exec Sees Legal Problems in Congressional Raid on USF

An AT&T executive expressed concern about the legal mess that could ensue if Congress tries to tap into a major telecom fund to pay down the deficit.

His remarks expand criticisms of the proposal beyond the small rural carriers who have been sounding alarm all week to one of the largest and most influential companies in the telecom industry. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) has proposed diverting $1 billion of the $8 billion Universal Service Fund (USF) to help alleviate the deficit. "There are definitely legal problems with that which are not well understood," Hank Hultquist, vice president for federal regulatory at AT&T, said during a panel hosted by information service Broadband Census.