Washington, DC- The Keep USF Fair Coalition,  representing the interests of millions of Americans to ensure fairness in the collection methodology of the Universal Service Fund (USF), congratulates and welcomes the new Chairman of the FCC, Kevin J. Martin. 

In a letter sent to Chairman Martin this week, the Keep USF Fair Coalition urged him to secure a fair and non-discriminatory USF collection methodology without shifting the economic burden to those least able to contribute. Nineteen national organizations representing millions of residential consumers of all races, ethnicities, abilities and circumstances have expressed their strong opposition to proposals before the FCC that would replace the current fair revenue-based USF collection system with one based on a flat fee system. 

The Keep USF Fair Coalition's filing proposes a consumer-friendly solution called the "Fair Share Plan," which achieves the goals of ensuring a sustainable and sufficient Universal Service Fund, while minimizing the impact on low-volume, low-income consumers.  A copy of the filing is at www.keepUSFfair.org.

The "Fair Share Plan" would expand the USF contribution base to include all revenues derived from telecommunications, including services using Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.  It would establish a contribution factor cap to be applied to the revenue-based approach.  Carriers would still be assessed based on revenues up to that cap amount, and would still have the right to charge their end users a USF recovery charge not to exceed the percentage they are charged.  The balance of the funds needed to support USF would come from a numbers-based charge. 

To date, more than 70,000 consumers have visited the coalition’s website and filed comments with the FCC opposing the flat-fee, numbers-based proposal.  A single parent wrote, "I only have a prepaid phone for emergency purposes and rarely have to use it.  If the cost goes up even slightly more, then I would not be able to afford to use it at all and would not be able to carry a phone for emergency purposes.  Most people that buy prepaid cell phones cannot afford much and that’s why they have them in the first place." 

The Keep USF Fair Coalition urges Chairman Martin to Keep USF Fair, and to reject any flat-fee collection proposals.

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