Telecommunications: Federal and State Universal Service Programs and Challenges to Funding
Abstract
Title 1 of the Communications Act of 1934 sets forth the nation's telecommunications policy, including making communication services available so far as possible, to all the people of the United States. Early efforts by FCC, state regulators, and industry to promote universal service generally began in the 1950s. At that time, increasing amounts of the costs associated with providing local telephone service were recovered from rates for long distance services. This had the effect of lowering local telephone rates and raising long distance rates, which was intended to make basic local telephone service more affordable. Because American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T)provided both nationwide long distance service and local telephone service to approximately 80 percent of the nation's telephone subscribers, universal service was largely promoted by shifting costs between different customers and services.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA398869
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office