Full Text of HR0550 95th General Assembly
HR0550 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, | 3 |
| through the establishment of the Federal Universal Service | 4 |
| Fund, was intended to promote the availability of quality | 5 |
| services at just, reasonable, and affordable prices, increased | 6 |
| access to advanced telecommunications services throughout the | 7 |
| Nation, and the availability of quality services to all | 8 |
| consumers, including those in low-income, rural, insular, and | 9 |
| high-cost areas, at rates that are reasonably comparable to | 10 |
| those charged in urban areas; and
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| WHEREAS, The intended goals of that legislation have not | 12 |
| been met in the State of Illinois, and many of Illinois' | 13 |
| communities have no wireless services or inadequate wireless | 14 |
| service; and
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| WHEREAS, The failure to achieve the goals of improved and | 16 |
| high-quality services has, and will continue to have, a direct | 17 |
| and substantial negative impact on the health and safety of the | 18 |
| people living and working in Illinois' rural areas; and
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| WHEREAS, The failure to achieve this goal of high-quality | 20 |
| wireless services at just, reasonable, and affordable rates to | 21 |
| everyone is a very significant barrier to the economic | 22 |
| development of much of rural Illinois; and
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| WHEREAS, There are 2 rural wireless carriers in Illinois | 2 |
| that are seeking certification as eligible telecommunications | 3 |
| carriers; the federal universal service funding will enable | 4 |
| these eligible telecommunications carriers to construct | 5 |
| significant additional wireless infrastructure in rural | 6 |
| Illinois; and | 7 |
| WHEREAS, The Illinois Commerce Commission has certified | 8 |
| one of these carriers and is reviewing the request for | 9 |
| certification of the other; and | 10 |
| WHEREAS, The Federal-State Joint Board on Universal | 11 |
| Service has recommended that the Federal Communications | 12 |
| Commission impose a cap on universal service funding for rural | 13 |
| wireless carriers seeking to expand coverage in rural areas; | 14 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, This recommended cap would severely limit Federal | 16 |
| Universal Service Fund support for Illinois' rural wireless | 17 |
| carriers currently receiving these funds; and | 18 |
| WHEREAS, The proposed cap on funding would serve to | 19 |
| undercut the purpose and objective of the federal | 20 |
| Telecommunications Act of 1996 by impairing the ability of | 21 |
| Illinois' wireless-eligible telecommunications carriers to |
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| expand infrastructure into rural Illinois so that rural and | 2 |
| urban wireless service is equal, as promised by that Act; | 3 |
| therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 5 |
| NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 6 |
| urge the Federal Communications Commission to reject the cap | 7 |
| proposed by the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service; | 8 |
| and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That we urge the United States Congress to repeal | 10 |
| the cap if it is adopted by the Federal Communications | 11 |
| Commission; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 13 |
| delivered to the Honorable Kevin J. Martin, Chairman of the | 14 |
| Federal Communications Commission, the President pro tempore | 15 |
| of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States | 16 |
| House of Representatives and to each member of the Illinois | 17 |
| congressional delegation.
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