Network Neutrality, Broadband Taxes, Oversight top House Telecom Agenda

NET NEUTRALITY, BROADBAND TAXES TOP HOUSE TECH AGENDA
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Anne Broache]
Rep Rick Boucher (D-VA) said his 2007 goals are to enact legislation related to Net Neutrality, patents, and broadband regulation and taxation, including authorizing local governments to offer their own Internet service. Rep Boucher and Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE) also plan to push hard over the next few months for passage of a proposal to reform the universal service fund. Their bill would formally allow companies that receive such subsidies to use them for deploying broadband service, which existing law does not. Right now, telecommunications companies -- including those offering wireless, pay-phone, traditional-telephone and DSL services- - are taxed on a fixed percentage of their long-distance revenue and required to pay it into a multibillion-dollar fund. Concerned that dwindling long-distance revenue has eroded the fund, the Federal Communications Commission last year extended a similar requirement to some voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) providers as well. Rep Boucher said his bill would spread the contribution requirements among "all who offer a network connection" and require companies to collect fees on local telephone calls as well. He said the new sources will "replenish the fund and enable it to be sustained."
http://news.com.com/Net+neutrality%2C+patents%2C+broadband+taxes+top+Hou...
* Universal Service High On Agenda For House Panel, Boucher Says
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-CVAW1170361432708.htm...

HOUSE FCC OVERSIGHT HEARING SCHEDULED FOR FEB 15
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The House Telecommunications Subcommittee has scheduled a February 15 FCC oversight hearing. In a letter to FCC commissioners, Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey (D-MA) and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-MI) sent a list of questions concerning the AT&T-BellSouth merger decision, broadband policy, spectrum policy, the digital television transition, and overall Commission policies, processes and functioning. (See the questions at the URL below.)
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6412039?title=Article&spacede...