FCC Waives Some Broadband Rate Reporting Requirements

By its own motion, the Federal Communications Commission waived its rules to allow rate-of-return carriers (i.e. a telephone company that provided local service prior to the Telecommunications Act of 1996 which owns most of the local loops and facilities in a serving area) to include their actual rates for consumer broadband-only lines for the first three months of 2019 on their FCC Form 509, rather than imputing revenues based on the maximum rate that would have been assessable. The FCC has twice previously granted a waiver of this rule, in part because imputing revenues based on these maximum rates would have the effect of significantly overstating the revenues for many carriers, causing a significant reduction in universal service support.