A resolution to express the sense of the Senate that universal basic telephone service at reasonable rates must be maintained.

Summary

Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Federal Communications Commission should not institute flat end user charges for residential and single line business customers: (1) until it documents that such charges will not threaten universal basic telephone service and submits such findings to the Senate in time for the Senate to exercise its oversight function; (2) before June 1985; and (3) in excess of four dollars per month per line prior to 1990. Directs the Commission, if it institutes such charges, to: (1) ensure the institution of reduced cost basic telephone or lifelong service for those people who otherwise could not afford basic telephone or lifelong services and exempt such persons from such charges; (2) implement a plan to provide small rural telephone companies with high costs assistance in addition to that announced by the Commission in July 1983 in order to ensure affordable basic telephone service to their customers; and (3) review the tariffs for interexchange telecommunications services to ensure that the prices for such services are reduced as much as possible. Directs the Commission to implement justified changes in pricing levels, mechanisms, and structures for telecommunications services gradually to minimize the impact on the viability of alternative networks, the vitality of competition, and the maintenance of universal service. Prohibits the Commission from increasing the flat end user charge above four dollars before additional study and congressional oversight. Directs the Commission to expand the exemption from surcharges on private line surcharges to include users who verify that they do not interconnect with the public switched telephone network.

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• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 23 February 1984

  Open at official source

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