Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate backs extension of Georgia universal access fund to keep rural phone service
Summary
After lengthy debate the Senate passed House Bill 998 to extend and reform Georgia’s Universal Access Fund—moving the sunset to 2040, codifying PSC rate-of-return oversight for tier 2 carriers, and requiring audits—citing rural 911 and coverage gaps as the central rationale.
The Georgia Senate approved House Bill 998 after extended floor debate centered on rural telecommunications access, public-safety reliability and the fund’s sunset date. The sponsor (Senator from the 23rd) argued the universal access mechanism ensures affordable telecommunications where line density is low and helps maintain landline service used for reliable 911 location in storm events.
Key provisions adopted by the chamber…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
