Re: Constitutionality of Universal Service Fund

On 11/14/2024 5:57 AM, shawn wrote:

On Thu, 14 Nov 2024 06:45:19 -0500, Rhino
<no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
 

On 2024-11-14 2:43 AM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:

Much of television is regulated by aspects of telecom law, and the
Universal Service Fund subsidy is imposed on cable subscribers who
receive telecom services from their cable company.
>
This is a massive fee imposed upon telephone subscribers that pays for
rural telephone -- and these days broadband -- services. It's outrageous
and a subsidy to land from people elsewhere in the country. To the
extent that utilities must be subsidized in rural areas, tax land.
>
There's now a circuit split. Previously the Supreme Court had denied
cert. Now, FCC has asked that the constitutionality of the Fund be
upheld. I hope it dies. By some estimates, there are some estimates that
the fee on the few remaining POTS subscribers could hit $75 monthly.
>
https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/11/fcc-asks-court-to-uphold-constitutionality-of-nationwide-rural-phone-and-internet-subsidies/

>
I think I get why you object to the fee and the way it is levied. What
would you do to solve the problem of providing phone and broadband
service to remote locations? Leave it up to the private sector - notably
Starlink? Or have you got some other idea for how services in remote
areas can be provided?
>
I gather satellite phones are notoriously expensive although I gather
Starlink is actually pretty reasonable pricewise. I'm not sure if
Starlink can be used to make phone calls.

 It can be used to make phone calls since you can make phone calls over
any Internet connection. That said there may be issues with 911
support over Starlink.

I suspect the issue is with E911 Phase 2 service.  That is the ability to have a caller's location appear on the 911 operator's console when a call comes in.  Before cell phones it was a simple lookup in the phone company's records for the location of the landline phone in their billing records.  With cell phones it is done by triangulating on the cell phone's location from the ping/transmission time to the nearest cells.  This works better in urban areas where there are plenty of cell towers/relays, not so good in the boondocks but usually enough to locate to within a hundred meters.
I don't know if that is even possible with satellite phones.  Even if it is it is not going to be anywhere near as accurate.
--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky dirty old man.