FCC chief backs Net phone taxes

Iria · Dec 14, 2005, 10:55 PM

WASHINGTON--Imposing new taxes on a wider swath of Internet phone users is likely to be one of the Federal Communications Commission's top priorities next year, Chairman Kevin Martin said Wednesday.

The policy at issue is the thorny question of which phone service providers are forced to contribute to the Universal Service Fund, a multibillion-dollar pool of money that's used to subsidize telecommunications services in rural and other high-cost areas, schools and libraries. The mammoth fund--$4.7 billion was distributed during the first nine months of this year--has been beset by charges of mismanagement and fraud during its seven-year history.
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Read More / Source: ZDNet

Dec 14, 2005, 10:55 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 89	FCC chief backs Net phone taxes WASHINGTON--Imposing new taxes on a wider swath of Internet phone users is likely to be one of the Federal Communications Commission's top priorities next year, Chairman Kevin Martin said Wednesday. The policy at issue is the thorny question of which phone service providers are forced to contribute to the Universal Service Fund, a multibillion-dollar pool of money that's used to subsidize telecommunications services in rural and other high-cost areas, schools and libraries. The mammoth fund--$4.7 billion was distributed during the first nine months of this year--has been beset by charges of mismanagement and fraud during its seven-year history. ___________ Read More / Source: ZDNet