Industry Seeks Minor Changes to Urban Rates Survey Benchmarks

Industry groups urged the FCC to largely continue its current methodology for calculating benchmarks for the urban rates survey (see 2305090068). Comments posted Friday in docket 10-90 sought minor adjustments. The benchmarks "offer high-cost support recipients a simple way to demonstrate that they have satisfied their obligation," said NCTA. The group backed giving the Wireline Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics the "flexibility to account for variables that result in irregularities," but said any major modifications should be subject to peer review. "The current methodology for calculating these benchmarks is sufficient and need not be materially changed," said USTelecom. The group sought "a few discrete administrative adjustments," including that providers only be required to report rates for service plans necessary to calculate the benchmarks and non-discounted rates for each service tier within a census tract. WTA said it "strongly supports the continued inclusion of accurate upload speed and capacity allowance variables in the URS and its benchmark calculations," saying capacity allowances and overage charges should be included in the survey data and benchmarks.