Talk:Universal Service Fund

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Lifeline

I propose to add the following to the "Lifeline" section:

Lifeline Controversy

Some critics have expressed concern over the $2 billion cost of the Lifeline program. Some conservative legislators have proposed to end the Lifeline telephone subsidy, calling it "Obama Phone"^[1] citing the the rapid growth in cost. "The program has nearly tripled in size from $800 million in 2009 to $2.2 billion per year in 2012," the senior Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee wrote in a March 26 letter to the Democratic minority. "American taxpayers—and we as their elected representatives—need to know how much of this growth is because of waste, fraud and abuse."^[1]

But proponents of the program have pointed out that FCC has already moved to crack down on abuse. The FCC says this move saved $214 million in 2012, and predicts savings of over $400 million in 2013.^[1] Proponents have also pointed out that "Obama phone" is a misnomer, as the Lifeline program was begun by the FCC during the Reagan Administration^[2]. The low-income provision was added by Congress in 1996, when Bill Clinton was President but the Republican Party controlled both houses of Congress^[3], partly as a response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster ^[4].

[1]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-phones-subsidy-program-draws-new-scrutiny-on-the-hill/2013/04/09/50699d04-a061-11e2-be47-b44febada3a8_story.html
[2]
http://cintexwireless.com/lifeline/
[3]
Speakers of the House and Senate Presidents pro tempore (see 105th in both lists) and was expanded to include wireless service under President George W. Bush in 2008<ref name="lifelinebush">http://www.barackobama.com/truth-team/entry/fact-check-right-wing-blogs-push-debunked-obama-phones-attack/
[4]
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-a-budget/291495-gop-attacks-on-low-income-phone-program-a-mistake

Bgoldnyxnet (talk) 00:32, 12 April 2013 (UTC)

"By 1913, AT&T had favored status from U.S. government, allowing it to operate in a noncompetitive economic environment in exchange for subjection to price and quality service regulation"

It's called Monopoly pricing. It was the age of monopoly capitalism. It was the end of "free market" capitalism in the 1870's or there about. Isn't this article a little long? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.239.250.100 (talk) 03:24, 19 September 2013 (UTC)

Talk:Universal Service Fund

Lifeline

Lifeline Controversy

A table of historical fees would be useful

Merge from Universal Service Administrative Company

"ObamaPhone"

Is the Controversy Section Defective?

External links modified

External links modified

External links modified

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