FCC Announces 4Q02 Universal Service Fund Contribution Factor

The FCC’s Common Carrier Bureau announced today that the proposed universal service fund (“USF”) contribution factor for the fourth quarter of 2002 would be 7.2805 percent of end-user interstate and international telecommunications revenues. This factor represents the percentage of revenues that carriers are required to pay into the fund. If the Commission takes no further action regarding the proposed contribution factor (as is the usual case), it will be deemed approved. The proposed rate is unchanged from the collection rate established for the second and third quarters of 2002.

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