Utah PSC Tweaks Planned Connections-Based USF Contribution Overhaul
The Utah Public Service Commission tweaked proposed rules but rejected delay for shifting state USF contributions to a connections-based mechanism. In a Monday notice in docket 17-R360-01, the agency accepted some language tweaks by industry suggested in recent comments (see…
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1708030033). But the PSC disagreed with CTIA and AT&T that the proposed connections-based mechanism may violate federal law mandating that the state mechanism not be inconsistent with, rely on or burden the federal mechanism, which is based on revenue. “The PSC has made every effort to include in the rule provisions that legally separate the UUSF surcharge from any and all interstate revenues,” it said. It said issues raised about how to assess USF fees to prepaid wireless would be addressed through a separate rulemaking or legislative action. “However, the PSC considers that implementing a per-access line surcharge cannot be delayed beyond January 1,” the agency said. “That date is mandated by statute, and is also necessary to allow the PSC to move forward on other rulemaking related to the 2017 legislation.” The amended rule may take effect Oct. 9 at the earliest, the commission said.