Expand funding

Dear Editor,

Wireless is the future of telecommunications in Nebraska: a cell phone is no longer a luxury item, but a fundamental necessity.

The lack of high-quality wireless coverage in rural areas is a critical public safety issue, as rural residents and emergency personnel depend on high-quality coverage to reliably deal with situations ranging from natural disasters to automotive emergencies to domestic violence.

U.S. Cellular has a deep commitment to rural America. The majority of our service areas are sparsely populated, and we work to provide high-quality service to all customers, rural and urban.

In 1996, Congress created the federal Universal Service Fund (USF) to provide carriers with an incentive to build networks in sparsely populated areas that would otherwise not support investment. In 2007, wireless providers will contribute roughly $2.5 billion to the $7 billion fund.

Since 1999, more than $22 billion in funding provided from consumer contributions has been paid to rural landline phone companies, while less than $2 billion has gone to rural wireless carriers.

Now, the Federal Communications Commission wants to reduce the already-limited funding for wireless service in rural communities in Nebraska and across America.

Specifically, the FCC is considering a proposal to cap USF to wireless carriers, which they may enact within the next four to eight weeks -- without fully considering the effect of this decision on rural Americans.

A freeze in funding will widen the technological gap between urban and rural areas.

To this end, U.S. Cellular is supporting Connecting Rural America, a diverse grassroots coalition, in an effort to take a stand for rural America. You can visit www.connectingruralamerica.org to make your voice heard.

We need to expand -- not cap -- USF funding for wireless customers. We simply cannot afford to leave rural America behind.

John E. Rooney

President and CEO

U.S. Cellular