Providers Urge FCC to Act on ACAM, USF Contribution Reform

Chickasaw Telephone and Totah Communications asked the FCC to adopt the Alternative Connect America Model (ACAM) Broadband Coalition’s proposal to modernize ACAM, saying “time was of the essence” (see 2205190023). The providers, in a meeting with aides to Commissioner Brendan Carr, backed waiving the budget control mechanism for Connect America Fund-broadband loop support recipients for “at least the rapidly approaching support year,” said an ex parte filing posted Tuesday in docket 21-476. “Without such a waiver, CAF-BLS recipients will be adversely impacted by a very significant reduction of their support,” the providers said. They also noted the “justification for contributions of large edge providers” to the USF, citing the “increased middle mile and last mile costs caused by video streaming.”