Tina Smith: “I rise today with Senators Dorgan and Pryor to introduce the ``Universal Service for the 21st Century Act.'' For more…”

“I rise today with Senators Dorgan and Pryor to introduce the ``Universal Service for the 21st Century Act.'' For more than 70 years, the preservation and advancement of universal service has been a fundamental goal of our telecommunications laws. In order to ensure the long term sustainability of the fund and to add support for broadband services that are increasingly important to our Nation's economic development, our bill reforms the system of payments into the universal service fund and creates a $500 million account to bring broadband to unserved areas of the country. The achievements of the universal service fund are undeniable. Affordable telephone services are available in many remote and high cost areas of the country, including Oregon, because of the fund. Large and small telecommunications carriers serve sparsely populated rural communities and schools and libraries receive affordable Internet services because of the fund. The need for a robust and sustainable universal service system certainly remains, but it has become increasingly clear that major reforms are needed if the fund is to meet the evolving communications needs of the American people. In Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress directed the Federal Communications Commission, FCC, and the States to encourage deployment of advanced telecommunications services, including broadband, on a reasonable and timely basis.…”