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Fast, affordable Internet access for all.
The concept a universal service originated in the early days of the telephone industry, between 1894 and 1912, after Alexander Graham Bell's patents had expired and before the federal government granted the Bell company "natural monopoly" protections. As Martin Mueller points out in his book "Universal Service," during this period of open competition, scores of telephone providers raced to set up networks and overcome Bell's considerable lead. But Bell refused to connect its networks with those of the independent providers; as a result, subscribers found themselves unable to connect with subscribers from other competing local exchanges. At the time, the only way to resolve this division was to subscribe to both the Bell network and the local independent network. This solution (of sorts), known as "dual service," was generally affordable only for businesses. In 1907, there was a push to force interconnection between these proprietary networks. That was the first meaning of "universal service."The article offers interesting details of how perceptions and policies changed, leading up to the 1996 Telecom Act:
Under the 1996 Act, the FCC was explicitly tasked with ensuring that such basic telephone services should be available "at just, reasonable, and affordable rates," and that the list of services covered under the universal service provision be periodically updated to reflect new technological developments. The 1996 Act also acknowledged the uneven geographic distribution of services and sought to correct this inequality by stipulating that consumers in rural areas be provided with telecommunications services at a level of quality and at rates "reasonably comparable" to those available in urban areas.We may take ubiquitous electrical and telephone networks for granted, but they were a conscious decision. And as we move forward with universal service, we must push for public ownership to properly align incentives. The public should own the networks to ensure everyone is properly served while allowing independent service providers to compete for subscribers. Universal access -- with freedom of choice between providers. It is possible and should be our goal.