FSJB

Third, the Federal-State Joint Board has made findings that undercut claims of excessive investment.

In November 2007, the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service (Joint Board) released a recommended decision addressing long-term reform issues facing the high-cost universal service support system and recommending the FCC make fundamental revisions in the structure of existing USF mechanisms.

Consider last November's recommendation on Universal Service Fund (USF) reform by the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service--several aspects of which are significant victories for rural telcos.

Earlier this summer, the FCC and Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service began a proceeding on long-term comprehensive high-cost USF reform.

On the universal service front, the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service has been struggling for the past two years to provide the FCC with a recommendation on the future basis for high-cost USF support.

Universal Service Primary-line Restrictions: NTCA has been battling this issue in both the legislative and regulatory arenas since the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service released its recommendation to limit universal service to a consumer-designated primary line.

"I have thought for a while and the joint board [the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service] actually considered whether the commission should at least allow carriers in rural areas to recover the costs [of] removing aspects of their networks that would prevent broadband or advanced services from being deployed," he said.

Via the senate, we also sent a letter to FCC Chairman Michael Powell, arguing against the recommendation made by the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service to limit universal service support to a primary line.