Rep. Dingell (D-Mich.) urged the FCC to make a decision ‘expediti...
Rep. Dingell (D-Mich.) urged the FCC to make a decision “expeditiously” on whether AT&T’s enhanced prepaid calling card is subject to intrastate access charges and universal service fund (USF) contributions. Dingell, ranking Democrat of the House Commerce Committee, said…
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if the FCC finds AT&T violated Commission rules by withholding these payments it should require AT&T to make retroactive as well as future payments -- and the retroactive payments should carry interest “to compensate the USF and affected local exchange carriers for the loss of funds that resulted from AT&T’s withholding of payments.” Dingell criticized AT&T for lobbying for a decision against payment by raising concerns about the cost of providing cards to military users: “AT&T’s campaign… seeks to generate opposition to any effort by the FCC to require AT&T to comply with the Commission’s regulations based on concerns that doing so would increase costs to U.S. military personnel… I do not favor increasing the cost of making telephone calls for U.S. forces stationed overseas. [However], if it truly wishes to help the troops, AT&T can offer military personnel pre- paid calling cards at discounted rates or it could offer calling card services to such personnel for free… AT&T’s cynical campaign should in no way cause the FCC to turn a blind eye to AT&T’s unilateral decision to exempt itself from the FCC’s regulations and shortchange universal service.”