A fund that compensates common carriers for providing access to telecommunications services at reasonable and affordable rates throughout the country, including rural, insular and high costs areas, and to public institutions. Common carriers are required by law to contribute to this fund, a cost that many pass on to their customers.
This term describes the financial support mechanisms (a universal fund) that help compensate local exchange carriers or other communication entities to provide access to telecommunications services at affordable rates to rural, insular and other high cost areas, and to public institutions.
Electricity is an essential service. As such, it is important for this service to be available to all consumers. In a competitive market, it is possible that no provider will seek to serve less attractive customers (presumably those that utilize little energy or are located in remote, costly to serve areas). Universal service is the concept that all consumers should be guaranteed the right to service. In the telephone industry deregulation, universal service was guaranteed through assessment of a fee on all retail consumers.
a process of eliminating barriers so everyone has the opportunity to use communication systems for meaningful and effective participation in all aspects of society, from the economy to culture, from policy decision-making to community life
is the national policy providing for telecommunications services to be offered everywhere in the United States, at reasonable costs.
The vision that residential phone service can be priced so low that anyone in the U.S. can afford it. This has been the reason that local business service is priced higher, even though the service is the same.
Program to help provide access to telecommunications services at reasonable and affordable rates throughout the country. Companies are required by law to contribute to this fund. Companies are not prohibited from passing this charge on to customers.
Electric service sufficient for basic needs (an evolving bundle of basic services) available to virtually all members of the population regardless of income.
The government's aim, starting in the 1930s, of providing phone service to all, regardless of distance from the switch or ability to pay. Today, universal service encompasses those aims, plus a subsidy to public schools, libraries and rural health care facilities for telecom services.
The financial mechanism which helps compensate telephone companies or other communications entities for providing access to telecommunications services at reasonable and affordable rates throughout the country, including rural, insular and high costs areas, and to public institutions. Companies, not consumers, are required by law to contribute to this fund. The law does not prohibit companies from passing this charge on to customers.
The provision of a basic level of service to all persons at affordable rates.
The public policy that helps compensate telephone companies or other communications carriers for providing access to telecommunications services at reasonable and affordable rates throughout the country, including rural, insular, and high cost areas. Companies, not consumers, are required by law to contribute to the Universal Service Fund. The law allows companies to pass this charge on to customers. The E-Rate program is a separate part of the Universal Service Program.
A provision in some Telecommunications Act licences requiring the licensee to provide certain services to all specified persons. For example, BT is currently required to provide basic voice telephony and certain other established telecommunications services to anyone who may reasonably request them.
The Postal Service's mandate and commitment to the nation to provide mail delivery service at uniform and reasonable rates to everyone, everywhere.
The government's aim, as stated in the Communications Act of 1934, of providing phone service to everyone, regardless of their distance from the switch or ability to pay. Expanded under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, universal service also encompasses a subsidy to public schools, libraries and rural health care facilities for telecom services.
a policy of government to make telecommunications services, including advanced telecommunications services, available throughout the country at affordable prices so that they are either available or easily accessible to anyone whenever they are needed, regardless of geographical or physical locations, with due regard to people with special needs.
a policy goal that basic utitlity service be reasonably priced and available to everyone. Universal basic telephone service is a formal policy goal of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
The availability of affordable telecommunications technology for all Americans, part of the 1966 Telecommunications Act, and regulated by the FCC. Current discussions revolve around the applicability of VoIP to universal service and whether or not VoIP providers should be taxed accordingly.
Electric service sufficient for basic needs made available to all members of the population, regardless of their income.
The concept of making basic local telephone service (and, in some cases, certain other telecommunications and information services) available at an affordable price to all people within a country or specified jurisdictional area. http:// www.its.bldrdoc.gov/fs-1037/ Also defined as affordable access to and effective use of the Internet. (O’Siochru)
Policies, protections and services that help low-income customers maintain electric service.
The responsibility of RBOCs to provide service to virtually all customers in their geographic area, including those in low-profit areas such as rural areas. To offset the cost of universal service, RBOCs are allowed by the FCC to charge access feels to CLECs and to long distance carriers.
In telecommunications, universal service was conceived by Theodore Vail, at AT&T, in the late 1800s; any user could connect. This concept, arising from competition for rights to an electrical distribution system, became regulated as a public utility, in exchange for monopoly control of telephony.William L. Baldwin, review of The Fall of the Bell System, by Peter Temin.