WASHINGTON, May 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a first step toward comprehensive reform of Universal Service, the Federal Communications Commission yesterday adopted an interim cap on payments to competitive eligible telecommunications carriers under the Universal Service Fund (USF). The following statement should be attributed to David Zesiger, Embarq's Senior Vice President for Regulatory Policy and External Affairs.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060516/EMBARQLOGO ) "EMBARQ applauds the Federal Communications Commission's leadership yesterday on Universal Service reform. By limiting support for multiple carriers in rural areas, as the Federal-State Joint Board recommended, the Commission showed its commitment to the long-term health of the Universal Service Fund, a commitment vital to rural America. The Universal Service Fund supports carriers in rural areas where it is costly to serve and often uneconomic to invest. The Commission's order caps support for multiple carriers in the same area -- places where the market cannot justify even a single carrier without USF support. By halting the fund's unsustainable growth, the order provides stability that enables comprehensive reform of the universal service system. Now, the Commission can focus on necessary changes to the USF program, including the need for geographically-targeted support. We encourage the Commission to continue yesterday's positive first step by adopting geographic targeting as the foundation for comprehensive USF reform for the benefit of rural America and all consumers." About EMBARQ Embarq Corporation (NYSE:EQ), headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, offers a complete suite of communications services. The company has approximately 18,000 employees and operates in 18 states. EMBARQ is included in the S&P 500 and is in the Fortune 500(R) list of America's largest corporations. For consumers, EMBARQ offers an innovative portfolio of services that includes reliable local and long distance home phone service, high-speed Internet, wireless, and satellite TV from DISH Network(R) -- all on one monthly bill. For businesses, EMBARQ has a comprehensive range of flexible and integrated services designed to help businesses of all sizes be more productive and communicate with their customers. This service portfolio includes local voice and data services, long distance, Business Class High Speed Internet, wireless, satellite TV from DIRECTV(R), enhanced data network services, voice and data communication equipment and managed network services. For more information, visit embarq.com. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060516/EMBARQLOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Embarq Corporation CONTACT: Media, David Bartlett, +1-202-393-7114, , or Tom Matthews, +1-919-554-7185, , both for Embarq Corporation Web site: http://www.embarq.com/
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