2021 Urban Rate Survey for Fixed Voice and Broadband Services

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau and the Office of Economics and Analytics released the 2021 reasonable comparability benchmarks for fixed voice and broadband services for eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) that are subject to broadband public interest obligations. These ETCs include incumbent local exchange rate-of-return carriers, incumbent price-cap carriers that are receiving Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II support, Rural Broadband Experiment providers, CAF Phase II Auction (Auction 903) winners, and Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction winners. In addition, the FCC announced the posting of the fixed voice and broadband services data collected in the most recent urban rate survey, and explanatory notes regarding the data, on the Commission’s website at http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/urban-rate-survey-data. The Bureau and Office also announce the required minimum usage allowance for ETCs subject to public interest obligations for fixed broadband.

• Voice Rates. Based on the survey results, the 2021 urban average monthly rate is $33.73. Therefore, the reasonable comparability benchmark for voice services, two standard deviations above the urban average, is $54.75. Under the FCC’s rules, each ETC, including competitive ETCs providing fixed voice services, must certify in the FCC Form 481 filed no later than July 1, 2021, that the pricing of its basic residential voice services is no more than $54.75. 
• Broadband Rates. Recipients of high-cost and/or Connect America Fund support that are subject to broadband performance obligations are required to offer broadband service at rates that are at or below the relevant reasonable comparability benchmark. Carriers subject to the Alaska Plan are required to meet Alaska-specific benchmarks and to certify that they are meeting the relevant reasonable comparability benchmark for their broadband service offering in the FCC Form 481 filed no later than July 1, 2021. The following table provides the 2021 benchmark for a number of different broadband service offerings, though providers will need to determine the benchmark for services with characteristics not shown in the table:

Minimum Usage Allowance. Under the USF/ICC Transformation Order and subsequent orders, ETCs subject to broadband public interest obligations must provide broadband with usage allowances reasonably comparable to those available through comparable offerings in urban areas. The Bureau adopts a minimum monthly usage allowance of 350 GB for 2021.