FCC will seek more comment on telecom reforms

Federal Communications Commission has decided to seek more comment on proposed changes to two programs, the Universal Service Fund and intercarrier compensation, that have been controversial for years. Instead of moving forward with changes to both programs, as FCC Chairman Kevin Martin had pushed for, the other four commissioners decided late Wednesday to seek more comment on both programs. In July, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ordered the FCC to provide a valid legal reason why it was exempting Internet-based voice traffic from intercarrier compensation rules, which determine the rates that telecom carriers pay for using each other's networks.