CTIA–The Wireless Association® Responds to Today’s FCC Open Meeting Activity on Universal Service Fund Reform

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a joint Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on universal service fund reform during its monthly Open Meeting. CTIA-The Wireless Association® President and CEO Steve Largent issued the following statement in response:

"CTIA supports FCC efforts to fundamentally reform its universal service system programs to support the national broadband goals and to derive greater efficiency from the legacy high cost program.  However, CTIA believes that any universal service reform should be competitively neutral, both in terms of technology and timing. Given consumers’ preference for mobile services and the National Broadband Plan’s commitment to continued leadership in mobile broadband, the Commission’s plans for transitioning support away from existing wireless services should be implemented only if reductions in support are made across all fund participants simultaneously, regardless of technology, and should only begin once efficient replacement mechanisms are in place."

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CTIA-The Wireless Association® (www.ctia.org) is an international organization representing the wireless communications industry. Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data services and products. CTIA advocates on behalf of its members at all levels of government. The association also coordinates the industry’s voluntary best practices and initiatives, and sponsors the industry’s leading wireless tradeshows. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, DC.