Regional universal telecommunication service provisions in the US: Efficiency versus penetration

摘要

Universal service, the long time goal of telecomunications regulation, is un- der new scrutiny by stakeholders. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 elimi- Nated the barriers to competition imple- Mented in the transitional Modified Final Judgment of 1984. The FCC is now Setting up a new universal service plan, Which extends its scope to schools, li- Braries and health care providers. At the Same time, however, concerns about The effectiveness of the universal ser- Vice are increasing. This article reports On a study which first investigates the Growth patterns in the number of house- Holds by income groups in states, and Then examines the effectiveness and ef- Ficiency of the universal service policy On low-income households at the state Level.