About Us

We play an essential role in helping members deliver vital telecommunications services to rural consumers at reasonable prices. We are also a proven source of reliable industry data analysis.

Our expertise includes:  

• rate and tariff development 
• industry database management 
• economic forecasting 
• trend analysis 
• regulatory analysis 

Our core services

We manage a significant part of the rural telecommunications industry’s revenue streams so people in areas served by small rural telecommunications companies can stay connected to the rest of America. Today rural telecommunications companies are providing a variety of broadband-based solutions to help keep local businesses, educational institutions and other customers connected. Through the Federal Communications Commission’s  access charge plan, we help ensure telecommunications and broadband services remain available and affordable in all parts of the country. 

We provide the following services to these companies:

• file interstate access charge tariffs with the FCC 
• collect and validate cost and revenue data 
• ensure compliance with FCC rules 
• distribute revenues from access charges among pool members, based on each company's costs of providing interstate access
  
• offer training and education on a wide variety of telecom topics

Just as we helped members deliver the best voice service everywhere, we are using our experience and expertise to facilitate the delivery of broadband everywhere and help meet the ongoing challenges of increasing demands for higher broadband speeds. 

Supporting our members 

We believe a 21st century regulatory regime must enable a reasonable balance between affordable end user prices, sufficient and sustainable universal service funding, and revenues from others that use rural networks. We work with the national trade associations, among others, to address the critical issues facing rural telecommunications companies, such as: 

• reform of universal service and intercarrier compensation mechanisms to support broadband internet access and voice services, 
• rural call completion issues, and 
• transition of the Public Switched Telephone Network to an all-IP network.

We continue to work with the FCC and the rural telecom associations to ensure successful implementation of reforms.