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 SEPARATE  STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  MICHAEL  J.  COPPS 
 Re:  Federal-  State  Joint  Board  on  Universal  Service;  Virginia  Cellular,  LLC,  Petition  for  Designation  as  an  Eligible  Telecommunications  Carrier  in  the  Commonwealth 
 of  Virginia. 
 Today  we  grant  Virginia  Cellular  eligible  telecommunication  carrier  (ETC)  status  in  study  areas  served  by  rural  and  non-  rural  telephone  companies.  We  make  some 
 headway  in  this  decision  toward  articulating  a  more  rigorous  template  for  review  of  ETC  applications.  Although  I  support  this  grant,  I  believe  that  the  ETC  process  needs  further 
 improvement.  The  long-  term  viability  of  universal  service  requires  that  the  Commission  get  the  ETC  designation  process  right.  We  must  give  serious  consideration  to  the 
 consequences  that  flow  from  using  the  fund  to  support  multiple  competitors  in  truly  rural  areas.  And  when  we  do  fund  competition,  we  need  to  ensure  that  we  provide  the 
 appropriate  level  of  support.  For  these  reasons,  I  look  forward  to  reviewing  the  Joint  Board’s  upcoming  Recommendation  on  universal  service  portability  and  ETC 
 designation.  I  am  hopeful  that  this  document  will  lay  the  foundation  for  an  improved  approach  that  both  honors  the  public  interest  and  reflects  the  realities  of  the  market. 
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