The “dynamic of serially escalating rates for local...

The “dynamic of serially escalating rates for local telephone services that reach far fewer consumers than in urban areas will, if anything, almost certainly prompt more consumers in rural areas to seek in the near term to ‘cut the cord’ and obtain only fixed broadband service,” NTCA told FCC Wireline Bureau officials Friday, an ex parte filing said (http://bit.ly/1cuWHdp). This development “underscores the need to solve once and for all” the increased broadband costs for consumers who choose to end voice service in high-cost areas served by smaller rate-of-return regulated LECs, NTCA said.