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News You Could Do Without

by Mike Masnick

Mon, Mar 12th 2007 3:18am





In A Move That Will Surprise No One, AT&T And Verizon Trying To Get More Access To Non-Supervised Gov't Money

from the shocking dept

For a while now we've covered how the Universal Service Fund (USF) has turned into something of a boondoggle for telcos, where they get money supposedly for expanding service into rural areas, but where there's almost no accounting for it. Others have noted that the USF actually holds back rural areas from getting more innovative services like VoIP. The whole thing is basically a scam allowing the telcos to charge you more. Even when they were allowed to reduce the fee, they pretended they still had to collect it so there would be even less oversight into what they did with the money. Now, Broadband Reports points out that AT&T and Verizon are trying to get more access to the USF slush fund. In the meantime, it's still never been clearly explained why this program is needed and why, if it's so important, there's so little oversight into how it's operated.

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  1.  
    identicon
    BulliTT, Mar 12th, 2007 @ 5:15am

    MORE!!

    Isn't a clear yet that all big giant corporatiions want is more money?...But as u said.."In A Move That Will Surprise No One.."..figures

    I want some government money too...how do i get in??!??

    by the by...FIRST POST!

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    Chronno S. Trigger, Mar 12th, 2007 @ 5:23am

    I don't like Verizon

    Didn't the big telcos force VOIP services like Vonage to charge the USF where as they didn't have to any more? They got in trouble for that. Why the hell do they think they deserve it?

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    Tin Ear, Mar 12th, 2007 @ 7:31am

    Show me a receipt.

    If I were holding the purse strings for the USF funds, I would certainly ask for a receipt showing a charge for NEW lines and cable in areas that needed it, before releasing any more money.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    Overcast, Mar 12th, 2007 @ 8:59am

    I wish I got as much government assistance as the big corporations.

    Hell, I can't even keep health coverage as a contractor. Yet the big telco's get to take more government money so I get taxed more?

    Sure that's fair.

    They say crime doesn't pay - but you know, it's getting to the point where being a contractor doesn't either.... lol

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    identicon
    vintagecoronado, Mar 12th, 2007 @ 10:22am

    govt money to telcos`

    i got poopie pants

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Mar 12th, 2007 @ 10:39am

    Rob the telcos.....phreak every payphone you can!

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  
    identicon
    Chris, Mar 12th, 2007 @ 11:49am

    Flashback of the '90s

    Remeber when telcos got over $200billion to run fiber lines with HDTV and 40mbs to every home in america? Of course they're going to milk this fund for every cent they can, and they already know they can get away with it. They'll get more, and it will be as easy said, as done.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  
    identicon
    Trouble Maker, Mar 12th, 2007 @ 12:45pm

    two cents worth

    I sure would like to get my little grubbies on some of that Non-Supervised Goverment Money.

    Who do you have to sleep with for that?

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  9.  
    identicon
    seaowl, Mar 12th, 2007 @ 3:33pm

    Reform for the USF

    Access to broadband is becoming as important as access to the telephone. The USF should be reformed to recognize this fact. True high speed access at an affordable price is needed for things like telemedicine and distance education.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  10.  
    icon
    Vincent Clement (profile), Mar 12th, 2007 @ 6:10pm

    Re: Reform for the USF

    I have a better idea: eliminate the USF. It is an example of yet another government initiative that only helps a select few (in this case incumbent telcos). It's no different from agricultural subsidies, most of which go to large multinational agri-corps.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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