States Urge FCC to Call for Public Comments on Intercarrier Compensation, Universal Service Proposal

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners has sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission saying the FCC must allow more time for due process and public comments before it acts on a sweeping proposal that will revamp intercarrier compensation and the Universal Service Fund. NARUC said a proposal from agency Chairman Kevin Martin to reform both programs needs to be fully vetted by all stakeholders because it will have a profound impact on the telecommunications industry and consumers in an era of financial uncertainty. "Respectfully, in the wake of the credit crisis still reverberating throughout the U.S. economy, the FCC is rushing to resolve a $13 billion problem based on insufficient information, an inadequate record, and an incredibly compressed deliberative period," the letter said. "There is no need to do so."