CommLaw Monitor

News and analysis from Kelley Drye’s communications practice group

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Big changes continue to be made in the Universal Service Fund. With substantial reform of the High Cost Fund, the Lifeline program and a new rural healthcare connect fund, USF occupied a major place in the FCC agenda…

Wireline Competition Bureau Clarifies and Revises the FCC's Rules as Carriers Prepare to Make Transitional Intrastate Access Reciprocal Compensation Rate Reductions

Compliance with the FCC's revised intercarrier compensation rules adopted in its USF/ICC Transformation Order continues to be a work in progress for many carriers. The rules have generated several waves of questions as…

FCC Releases Revised 2011 USF Form 499-A

On March 1, the FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau released its revised Form 499-A, the Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet. This Worksheet must be used by telecommunications providers and interconnected VoIP…

GAO Audit Finds USAC Audits Lacking in Controls

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a study of the FCC's e-rate program controls. The GAO study recommended that the FCC conduct a "robust risk assessment" of its e-rate program and revise the…

Unauthorized Transfer of Control Draws Proposed Fine for Turner Broadcasting

Universal service violations, slamming, "junk faxes" and privacy violations typically draw large FCC fines. It may seem surprising, then, to learn that unauthorized transfers of control of FCC licenses draw a…