USTelecom Statement Welcoming Kathleen Abernathy to Board of Directors March 12th, 2010

Background:  Today, USTelecom welcomes Kathleen Abernathy, chief legal officer and executive vice president of Frontier Communications, as its newest member of the Board of Directors.

The following statement is from Steven C. Oldham, President and Chief Executive Officer of SureWest Communications, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of USTelecom:

“We are delighted to welcome Kathleen Abernathy to our board as Frontier’s representative.  Kathleen’s global expertise in communications law, including her distinguished service at the FCC and most recent work as partner at Wilkinson Barker Knauer, brings a wealth of experience to our team of top industry leaders.  As one of the nation’s largest rural local exchange carriers, Frontier is a prominent voice in advancing U.S. broadband policy.  With Kathleen’s addition, the board will be well-positioned to chart the direction for the industry and the association.”

USTelecom Statement on Intercarrier Compensation and Universal Service Reform in the National Broadband Plan March 5th, 2010

Background:  Today the Federal Communications Commission outlined some of the details in its National Broadband Plan concerning reforming intercarrier compensation and the current Universal Service Fund.

The following statement is from USTelecom President & CEO Walter B. McCormick Jr.:

“We are pleased to see that the National Broadband Plan recognizes that the soundness and integrity of intercarrier compensation and universal service are fundamental to the financial foundation of broadband deployment. The FCC’s plan to make long-needed changes to the regulatory framework for payments between carriers and to the Universal Service Fund is an important step forward.  There is broad consensus that reform is sorely needed in these areas and can make a significant contribution to building and upgrading our country’s broadband networks.  We must get the details right in such a critical matter, and we are committed to working with the Commission and other stakeholders to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.”

USTelecom Statement on NARUC Open Internet Resolution February 16th, 2010

Background: Today the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Committee on Telecommunications approved a resolution outlining NARUC’s support for an open Internet and encouraging the Federal Communications Commission or Congress to take certain steps to achieve that goal.

The following statement is from USTelecom President and CEO Walter B. McCormick Jr.:

“The resolution represents a thoughtful contribution to the open Internet debate.  By endorsing an Internet that is unrestricted as to viewpoints and access to legitimate content, while rejecting calls for imposing blanket bans on offering different levels of service and innovative arrangements with content and applications providers, NARUC’s approach is aimed at keeping consumers in the driver’s seat and preserving the freedom to innovate and invest that has been the hallmark of the Internet to date.  Importantly, the resolution also looks to ensure a level playing field among competitors seeking to provide Internet-based services and recognizes that, at the end of the day, the essential goal is ensuring that providers have incentives for innovation and investment to bring affordable and reliable broadband service to consumers throughout the country.”

USTelecom Statement on FCC Program Access Order January 21st, 2010

Background: Today at its Open Meeting, the Federal Communications Commission approved an Order to address program access issues.

The following statement is from USTelecom President & CEO Walter B. McCormick Jr.:

“In today’s order, the Commission took a balanced and legally sustainable approach to providing new video competitors with access to must-have programming that will greatly benefit consumers. Hundreds of telecom companies, most of them small and rural providers, are investing in networks to provide video competition to cable incumbents. But some incumbent cable companies have tried to maintain their grip on this market by locking up programming that consumers want—particularly by denying consumers the ability to follow their local sports teams if they switch to a competitor.

“As the Commission has previously found, where cable companies have to compete with another wireline video provider, rates are 17% lower.  But the FCC correctly concluded that such competition simply won’t happen without access to essential content, including regional sports networks and HD.  Just as importantly, the Commission recognized that the ability to offer a competitive video product is a critical component in making broadband deployment viable in rural high-cost areas. We congratulate the Commission on today’s action.”

USTelecom Statement on FCC Order on Program Access December 22nd, 2009

Background: Late Friday, the Federal Communications Commission put on circulation an Order that is intended to address program access issues.

The following statement is from USTelecom President & CEO Walter B. McCormick, Jr.:

“We are pleased to see that the FCC appears to be taking on this very important issue and look forward to engaging with the Commissioners to urge them to support the availability of programming, which is essential to providing competitive video service.”

USTelecom Statement on AT&T Letter December 15th, 2009

Background: Today, AT&T filed a letter with the Federal Communications Commission in its “Preserving the Open Internet” proceeding, GN Docket No. 09-191, in which it proposed that the Commission consider a consumer-focused approach to the issue of non-discrimination.

The following statement is from USTelecom President & CEO Walter B. McCormick, Jr.:

“AT&T’s proposal is a thoughtful approach to balancing legitimate governmental interests in protecting consumer choice from anticompetitive harms while preserving the free and open nature of the Internet – freedom that has resulted in unprecedented innovation and investment.”

USTelecom Statement on FCC Filing Re: Unified Intercarrier Compensation Regime December 8th, 2009

Background: Today, leading mid-sized U.S. broadband providers filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission in its ongoing proceeding aimed at forging a constructive, unified intercarrier compensation regime.

The following statement is from USTelecom President & CEO Walter B. McCormick, Jr.:

“This filing represents an important and constructive contribution to the effort to forge consensus around a new national broadband policy, and we commend these companies for their leadership and initiative. Modernizing universal service and intercarrier compensation to provide greater stability and predictability are critical to broadband investment and deployment. Any national broadband policy, if it is to be successful, must address these financial fundamentals. Today’s filing hits the key issues head-on, it fairly characterizes the concerns that give rise to the need for action, and it addresses complex challenges in a thoughtful, analytical way. It also addresses the significant public policy concerns with arbitrage schemes such as phantom traffic, and proposes meaningful reforms. We applaud this effort, which clearly moves the ball forward and provides momentum for progress.”

SureWest Communications President and CEO Steve Oldham Elected USTelecom Chair October 21st, 2009

Windstream’s Gardner Becomes Association Vice Chair

Chicago, IL – Steve Oldham, president and chief executive officer of SureWest Communications, has been elected to serve as Chair of USTelecom’s Board of Directors.  Representing the nation’s premier broadband providers, USTelecom’s board is comprised of top executives from the leading communications companies who help chart the direction for the industry and the association.

“Today – in the face of important regulatory and legislative decisions that will have a defining impact on our industry – our nation’s visionary broadband service providers are uniting through USTelecom to advance policies that promote the infrastructure investment and rapid-paced technological evolution customers rightfully count on,” Oldham stated.  “At this critical time in the communications industry, USTelecom members benefit from the shared knowledge and practices of new and emerging business models, and cutting-edge opportunities.  I am honored to serve as the Chair of USTelecom’s Board, and look forward to collaborating with my communications colleagues during this pivotal juncture for our industry.”

At SureWest, Oldham leads one of the nation’s most innovative communications providers, delivering superior triple-play bundles of residential and commercial services over Internet Protocol and fiber-to-the-home technologies. Under Oldham’s guidance, SureWest has transformed over the last several years from an incumbent traditional landline telephone services provider to one of the nation’s leading broadband over builders and a bandwidth leader in the markets it serves. Revenues from SureWest’s Broadband segment have surpassed traditional Telecom segment revenues for the first time in the company’s history. In the second quarter 2009, Broadband segment revenues grew 14 percent from the previous year and accounted for 66% of the company’s total revenues.

“With his transformative leadership of SureWest and extensive background on regulatory issues, Steve Oldham brings both in-depth industry insight and policy knowledge to his role as Chair of USTelecom’s Board of Directors – an outstanding combination of expertise that will benefit our organization and its members,” said USTelecom President and CEO Walter B. McCormick, Jr.

Oldham succeeds Ron McCue, Vice President and COO of Silver Star Communications.  Jeff Gardner, President and CEO of Windstream, was elected to serve as Vice Chair of the Board. Tom Gerke, Executive Vice Chairman of the Board, Regulatory and Human Resources of CenturyLink, will serve as Secretary, and Tom Tauke, Executive Vice President – Public Affairs, Policy and Communications of Verizon, will serve as Treasurer.

Frontier Communications Joins USTelecom October 7th, 2009

Frontier Communications, one of the nation’s largest incumbent local exchange carriers, has joined USTelecom.

The following statement is from Ron B. McCue, Chief Operating Officer of Silver Star Communications, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the United States Telecom Association:

“USTelecom is pleased to welcome Frontier Communications – a key industry leader that will be an important voice as our member companies work together to advance U.S. broadband policy.  As one of the nation’s largest communications company providing services to rural areas and small and medium-sized towns and cities, Frontier offers an array of services – both wired and wireless – that help communities grow and prosper and bring home the vast benefits of broadband.  Today, U.S. broadband policy is drawing national focus, and Frontier joining USTelecom underscores our industry’s commitment to unleashing the brightest broadband future for our nation.  Broadband has the power to galvanize the U.S. economy and offer unprecedented economic, health care and educational opportunities for America, especially its unserved and underserved areas, from telecommuting to telehealth to distance learning.  Frontier currently serves markets in 24 states and is critical to – and committed to — connecting consumers with these opportunities.  We look forward to working together to speed broadband’s benefits to all corners of America.”

USTelecom Statement on Google Voice Call Blocking September 25th, 2009

Today, AT&T filed a letter with the Federal Communications Commission pointing out that Google Voice is blocking calls to certain numbers that would incur access charges to Google.  Traditional telecom and wireless companies are required by law to connect these calls, despite the exorbitant access charges often associated with them.  The AT&T letter points out the need for a level and pro-investment playing field for all competitors in today’s broadband world.

The following statement is from Walter B. McCormick Jr., President and CEO of USTelecom:

“The hubris of Google’s ‘do as I say, not as I do’ approach to public policy would be laughable if it were not so serious.  In offering voice service, and then engaging in call blocking – effectively assuming the power to decide who its customer can call and what content they can access – the nation’s number one promoter of increased broadband regulation has arrogated to itself freedom from existing telecommunications regulation, a personal exemption from the FCC’s internet principles, and a pass on the public interest in competitive parity. If the FCC’s rules, principles and precedent are to have any meaning, it is imperative that they be applied equally.”