FCC Shows Commitment to Universal Service for Rural America

WASHINGTON, May 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a first step toward
comprehensive reform of Universal Service, the Federal Communications
Commission yesterday adopted an interim cap on payments to competitive
eligible telecommunications carriers under the Universal Service Fund (USF).
The following statement should be attributed to David Zesiger, Embarq's Senior
Vice President for Regulatory Policy and External Affairs.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060516/EMBARQLOGO )
"EMBARQ applauds the Federal Communications Commission's leadership
yesterday on Universal Service reform. By limiting support for multiple
carriers in rural areas, as the Federal-State Joint Board recommended, the
Commission showed its commitment to the long-term health of the Universal
Service Fund, a commitment vital to rural America. The Universal Service Fund
supports carriers in rural areas where it is costly to serve and often
uneconomic to invest. The Commission's order caps support for multiple
carriers in the same area -- places where the market cannot justify even a
single carrier without USF support. By halting the fund's unsustainable
growth, the order provides stability that enables comprehensive reform of the
universal service system. Now, the Commission can focus on necessary changes
to the USF program, including the need for geographically-targeted support. We
encourage the Commission to continue yesterday's positive first step by
adopting geographic targeting as the foundation for comprehensive USF reform
for the benefit of rural America and all consumers."
About EMBARQ
Embarq Corporation (NYSE: EQ), headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas,
offers a complete suite of communications services. The company has
approximately 18,000 employees and operates in 18 states. EMBARQ is included
in the S&P 500 and is in the Fortune 500(R) list of America's largest
corporations. For consumers, EMBARQ offers an innovative portfolio of services
that includes reliable local and long distance home phone service, high-speed
Internet, wireless, and satellite TV from DISH Network(R) -- all on one
monthly bill. For businesses, EMBARQ has a comprehensive range of flexible and
integrated services designed to help businesses of all sizes be more
productive and communicate with their customers. This service portfolio
includes local voice and data services, long distance, Business Class High
Speed Internet, wireless, satellite TV from DIRECTV(R), enhanced data network
services, voice and data communication equipment and managed network services.
For more information, visit embarq.com.
SOURCE Embarq Corporation

Media, David Bartlett, +1-202-393-7114, David.bartlett@embarq.com, or Tom
Matthews, +1-919-554-7185, Tom.r.matthews@embarq.com, both for Embarq
Corporation