State Utility Regulators Want Broadband Oversight Funding

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners approved a resolution urging Congress to provide two key agencies with the funding they need to oversee two grants programs aimed at helping to spur broadband access and adoption.

At its annual meeting in Atlanta, NARUC adopted two telecommunications resolutions. The first calls on Congress to provide the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Agriculture Department's Rural Utilities Service with the funding they need after the continuing resolution passed by Congress expires on Dec. 3 to provide adequate oversight of the programs used to distribute broadband funding from the 2009 economic stimulus package. The group said the funding could be allocated by adding a provision to the next continuing resolution Congress passes to provide both agencies with broadband oversight funds or by passing the fiscal year 2011 spending bills that fund the agencies. The group also approved a resolution urging the Federal Communications Commission to crack down on "traffic pumping" by some telecommunications firms. It involves charging excessive access fees to complete calls by driving up call volumes by working with high-traffic Web sites that may offer conference calling services or adult chat lines.