CenturyLink wants a public/private broadband policy

Speaking at SuperCOMM, Tom Gerke, executive vice chairman of CenturyLink (formally CenturyTel and EMBARQ), said the company's major focus is broadband access. He said the industry will not be able to achieve the goals of a National Broadband Plan unless there's a public/private partnership in place. A proper public/private partnership should include three common elements: cooperative public private effort; modernization of Universal Service Fund; and reform of intercarrier compensation. This public/private investment strategy should be able to support not only immediate needs, but the ability to use optical-based networks that can scale to meet future needs. "A key component of this is private investments that should take care of those areas where there's economically viable standalone opportunities, but when you get beyond that there has to be partnership that's predictable and sustainable," Gerke said. Whether the USF funding arrangement is realigned through a legislative process, the key will be in making sure that funding gets extended to the outlying areas that today just can't be served economically. "The donut holes are going to be taken care of, but what's important is making sure you get the support to those lower density areas," Gerke said. No less important is intercarrier compensation. The system has been set up to compensate carriers from others that use their network to terminate calls, for example. In calling for a reformed USF system, Gerke believes that there should be a balanced transitional approach and that the pain of reform be balanced with affordable benchmark rates.