USA - universal service

Joint Board Universal Service Monitoring Report Released in U.S.
see also full text of the report

The Twelfth Universal Service Monitoring Report has been released by the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, using information available as of June 2008. This 600-page report details information gathered to monitor the collection and disbursement of funds under the USF programme and gathers together data from sources including the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) and the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA), which it describes as the "only comprehensive data on all incumbent local exchange carriers", including number of lines, call volumes and costs. Data is detailed to the state, and in some cases company level, and the effect of these support mechanisms, including subscribers and penetration, rates and price indices, network usage and growth, quality of service, infrastructure and revenues, expenses and investment, is also provided.