NTCA: McDowell tells rural providers, ‘Go wireless’

NCTA: MCDOWELL TELLS RURAL PROVIDERS, 'GO WIRELESS'
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: Tim McElligott]
In his first formal presentation to an industry association, FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell gave the following advice to members of the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association at the group’s annual meeting: Take advantage of the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction to arm yourself for the future. Warning the rural industry that it is “on a collision course with disaster” primarily due to a broken Universal Service Fund structure, Commissioner McDowell said that while he and others are working to fix the USF and address other important issues such as inter-carrier compensation, competition that will pave the path to the future. “I believe in free markets and that government should only step in where the free market fails. And in rural America, it did,” Commissioner McDowell said, adding that it was right that the government stepped in and established systems such as USF. He said goals for reform should include slowing the growth of the fund, broadening the base of contributors, reducing the contribution burden for all if possible, ensuring competitive neutrality and eliminating fraud and abuse. Commissioner McDowell said that the fund can't afford to finance broadband connectivity under the current structure. “But there is hope, and it’s happening right now,” he said. “Significantly more Americans are adopting broadband every day.”
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