110 STAT. 72 PUBLIC LAW 104-104—FEB. 8, 1996 "(2) ACCESS TO ADVANCED SERVICES.— Access to advanced telecommunications and information services should be provided in all regions of the Nation. "(3) ACCESS IN RURAL AND HIGH COST AREAS. —Consumers in all regions of the Nation, including low-income consumers and those in rural, insular, and high cost areas, should have access to telecommunications and information services, including interexchange services and advanced telecommunications and information services, that are reasonably comparable to those services provided in urban areas and that are available at rates that are reasonably comparable to rates charged for similar services in urban areas. " (4) EQUITABLE AND NONDISCRIMINATORY CONTRIBUTIONS. — All providers of telecommunications services should make an equitable and nondiscriminatory contribution to the preservation and advancement of universal service. "(5) SPECIFIC AND PREDICTABLE SUPPORT MECHANISMS. — There should be specific, predictable and sufficient Federal and State mechanisms to preserve and advance universal service. "(6) ACCESS TO ADVANCED TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES FOR SCHOOLS, HEALTH CARE, AND LIBRARIES. —E lementary and secondary schools and classrooms, health care providers, and libraries should have access to advanced telecommunications services as described in subsection (h). "(7) ADDITIONAL PRINCIPLES.— Such other principles as the Joint Board and the Commission determine are necessary and appropriate for the protection of the public interest, convenience, and necessity and are consistent with this Act. " (c) DEFINITION.— "(1) IN GENERAL.—Universal service is an evolving level of telecommunications services that the Commission shall establish periodically under this section, taking into account advances in telecommunications and information technologies and services. The Joint Board in recommending, and the Commission in establishing, the definition of the services that are supported by Federal universal service support mechanisms shall consider the extent to which such telecommunications services— "(A) are essential to education, public health, or public safety; "(B) have, through the operation of market choices by customers, been subscribed to by a substantial majority of residential customers; "(C) are being deployed in public telecommunications networks by telecommunications carriers; and "(D) are consistent with the public interest, convenience, and necessity. "(2) ALTERATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS.—The Joint Board may, from time to time, recommend to the Commission modifications in the definition of the services that are supported by Federal universal service support mechanisms. "(3) SPECLU. SERVICES.—In addition to the services included in the definition of universal service under paragraph (1), the Commission may designate additional services for such support mechanisms for schools, libraries, and health care providers for the purposes of subsection (h).
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