Every year there is talk of expanding the contribution base, i.e. making ISPs pay into USF. So be careful what you wish for.
From: AF <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Dan P via AF Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2026 10:06 AM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <[email protected]> Cc: Dan P <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [AFMUG] USF not a tax! IMO should die asap The few calls I take are likely never touching the PSTN, to be honest I hate any phone calls, and from what I can see current generation also is low phone usage or any usage of PSTN (cell to cell on same carrier likely would never touch it, discord, teams, google chat, etc. But the point is, p2p data links are not PSTN, yet massive amount of USF tax gets pulled on them, yet seeing how mismanaged the program is just pissed me off. From: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 4:26 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Cc: Dan P <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Subject: Re: USF not a tax! IMO should die asap To offer a probably glib response: Don't want to use the USF, do not dial PSTN phone numbers. That is the link. Doesn't matter if you use VOIP, if you use that phone number the PSTN is involved on some level. There are ways to talk and communicate without a phone number. Like a Facebook phone call. Best Regards, Chuck McCown McCown Technology Corporation 8401 N Commerce Dr Lake Point, Utah 84074 801-250-9503 Office 435-830-4306 Cell www.mccowntech.com <http://www.mccowntech.com/> www.microtrench.pro <http://www.microtrench.pro/> www.terabitnetworks.com <http://www.terabitnetworks.com/> _____ From: AF <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > on behalf of Dan P via AF <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 3:02 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Cc: Dan P <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [AFMUG] USF not a tax! IMO should die asap Ha, if only it was PSTN, I would be happy to never use it, everything is VOIP now. Pretty much everyone and their mother now adds USF (some even put it in the tax section of their bill) between Zayo, Lumen, packet exchange, and other carriers we use we pay over 10k a mo on the useless funds, going to BS life support to the wrong people. None of these use the original PSTN, many have their own dark fiber, but because out point to point Intnetnet links go over state lines its an immediate usf tax which gets pricy on 100 and 400G links. From: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 3:42 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Cc: Dan P <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Subject: Re: USF not a tax! IMO should die asap Technically it is not and was never a tax. It is a user fee that replaced the old AT&T interstate line haul sharing that went away with divestiture. When AT&T quit sharing a portion of the toll with the small independent telcos NECA and later USF stepped into that gap and allow them to get the revenue recovery that the law specifies by tariff. If someone doesn't want to pay USF, then avoid using the PSTN. Has been quite the gravy train for ILECS for a very long time. _____ From: AF <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > on behalf of Dan P via AF <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 12:16 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Cc: Dan P <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Subject: [AFMUG] USF not a tax! IMO should die asap And I am sure we all know this isn't a one off deal. I always love how its pushed as "not a tax" https://www.propublica.org/article/alaska-telecom-subsidies-roger-shoffstall
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