Commissioner blames FCC for rural telco strife

At the National Telephone Cooperative Association's Conference and Expo in San Antonio last week, rural telcos came to share ideas and new technologies. But perhaps the most surprising comments came from FCC Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth.

In a show kick-off speech to NTCA members, Furchtgott-Roth took a number of strikes at the FCC. "I wish I could tell you that the FCC is doing a lot to help rural America, but the truth is the FCC is a large part of [the rural telcos'] problem.

"You may all think that universal service is about advancing and preserving telecommunications services to rural America, but you haven't been to Washington, D.C., because in Washington, universal service is not about rural America. It's about getting money to schools and libraries. In the past three years, universal service has turned into something quite different."

The NTCA's Government Affairs Committee and many attendees agreed with the commissioner that the administration of schools, libraries and health care programs should be moved from the FCC's jurisdiction to the Education Department.

Furchtgott-Roth also spoke of a draft of an FCC report on universal service. According to him, the report said all those universal service monies were going to rural America.

"That must be a great surprise to you. It was a great surprise to me because it seems that since the act was passed, universal service has doubled, but none of the money has gone to rural America."

Furchtgott-Roth added that he is frustrated watching the FCC "constantly break the law to disadvantage a whole group of Americans. But that's what I see every day."