News Release
Consumers Union – Public Policy and Advocacy Division of Consumer Reports
Thursday, October 27, 2011
WASHINGTON – The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today voted 4-0 to approve an order to overhaul the Universal Service Fund to help expand the availability of broadband service.
Parul P. Desai, Policy Counsel for Consumers Union, the public policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports, made the following statement after the FCC vote:
“We share the FCC’s goal of expanding broadband service. We appreciate the Commission’s push to deliver the benefits of broadband to more people in unserved areas. Today’s vote points us in the direction of universal broadband service, but we remain concerned about the details that allow companies to increase consumer bills. We don’t want the burden to be placed squarely on the backs of consumers, especially when many of these companies are hauling in big revenues. We’re going to press the FCC to ensure that these are temporary increases, because history has shown that these types of costs tend to stick around and go on and on and on.”
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Media conact: David Butler or Kara Kelber, Consumers Union, 202-462-6262. dbutler@consumer.org or kkelber@consumer.org