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Greetings!
Here are your articles for March 28, 2012. |
"At Kiesling Associates, we make it our mission to provide timely,
quality services that exceed the expectations of our clients."
Joe Gerot & Jeff Naig, Co-Managing Partners |
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CETC High Cost Support Amounts for 2012 - 2016 are Available for Review | |
The FCC released its USF/ICC Reform Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 11-161) on November 18, 2011. Incumbent LECs are preparing for significant challenges as federal High Cost support transitions to the new Connect America Fund, as reductions are made to intercarrier compensation and caps are placed on corporate expenses based in part on a regression model that has come under attack from many sides. Many rural incumbents also have affiliates categorized as competitive eligible telecommunications carriers (CETCs), and their support is similarly under attack, as we highlight this week.
High cost support for CETCs has been frozen at a baseline of 2011 payments, and set for elimination over a five year period. This will impact all CETCs, as well as price cap providers and their rate-of-return affiliates.
USAC released this data - by Study Area - showing CETC 2011 monthly support capped at $250 per-line, and net of pre-2011 prior period adjustments. These set the level of monthly baseline support for the first half of 2012. Then, between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2012, these amounts will be reduced to 80 percent of baseline. Support will be further reduced to 60 percent of baseline between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014, 40 percent between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015, and 20 percent between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016, when this support ends.
This legacy support is distinct from, and in addition to any Mobility Fund support wireless CETCs will compete for to bring 3G or 4G broadband to rural areas. If the Mobility Fund Phase II for the remaining unserved rural areas is not operational by June 30, 2014, the FCC will stop its phase-down of support until it that support is enabled.
Rural providers should note exceptions established for two primarily urban wireless competitors, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Spectrum. Prior to the FCC's USF/ICC Order, both acquired several smaller regional wireless providers. The FCC placed conditions on those acquisitions including a hard limit on future High Cost support.
Verizon Wireless will not receive high-cost CETC support after 2012. The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) has been instructed to provide them just 20 percent of the support it would have received for each ETC service area in the absence of its merger commitment and the USF/ICC Order and none in years following.
Similarly, Sprint will receive support in 2012 based on its merger commitment and will not be subject to the general phase down. Sprint's 2012 support will be the lesser of 20 percent of its 2008 support or the amount it would have received in 2012 for each incumbent ETC service area in the absence of its merger commitment and the USF/ICC Order.
For additional information, contact Bob Abrams at rabrams@kiesling.com, 608-664-9110, Burnie Snoddy at bsnoddy@kiesling.com, 515-223-0159, or your Kiesling representative. |
Kiesling Accounting Seminar - SAVE THE DATE! | |
We welcome your topic suggestions. You can email them to dsmith@kiesling.com. Watch for more information in future mailings and newsletter articles.
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Continue Growing and Learning in Your Career | |
With all the meetings, deadlines, and errands you have on a daily basis, growing and learning in your career may be the last thing on your mind. But it is important to be aware of where your career is headed and work to achieve your professional goals. Here are a few easy ways you can become mindful of your career path.
Speak frequently to a career mentor. You've graduated high school and college, you have a steady job, and you might even be the boss at your current place of employment. You might feel you have gained a substantial amount of knowledge along the way and you rarely need any assistance from anyone but in all reality, you might benefit from a career mentor more than you think. It is important to work at improvement and often times this may be hard to determine on your own. A mentor serves as outside eyes to identify these areas and suggest ways you could go about making improvements. A career mentor does not need to be someone you pay. You can talk to your boss, a coworker, or a friend and get their perspective on your career and where you want to go with it. It is important to find someone who will give honest advice, strong guidance, and sincere criticism.
Don't be afraid to work outside your comfort zone. Once you've been at a job for many years, you become confident at what you are doing. You may feel extremely comfortable in your career position and at times you may become complacent. It is important to look for areas where you have the opportunity to expand. Take the extra steps to work outside of your comfort zone and you will learn new things. You might even discover something you are more talented at or enjoy more than your current responsibilities.
Make a plan to guide you in the right direction. It is nearly impossible to steer your career in the right direction if you have no idea where you want to go. Take time out of your everyday work schedule and look beyond next week. Think of where you want to be next year, five years from now, and even ten years from now. Also, take time on a weekly or monthly basis to review your goals and be sure you are on the career path you desire. Frequent review of goals aids in identifying roadblocks or obstacles that may stand in your way. And more importantly, reevaluating your goals on a regular basis helps you identify opportunities that will help you continue to learn and grow in your career.
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Kiesling Quotes | |
 As we face obstacles to our integrity and personal progress, we often look to the advice of others. Reading powerful quotes can produce great results.
From time to time, we will share with you some quotes from others on achievement and successful living. Use them to build your library of quotations.
TEAMWORK
"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." ~Andrew Carnegie
"If a team is to reach its potential, each player must be willing to subordinate his personal goals to the good of the team." ~Bud Wilkinson
"In order to become a leading home run hitter, a batter must be surrounded by good hitters, otherwise, the pitchers will 'pitch around' him. Likewise, many successful people became that way from being on a good team." ~Laing Burns, Jr.
"Finding good players is easy. Getting them to play as a team is another story." ~Casey Stengel
"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success." ~Henry Ford |
| Monthly Small Business Tax Calendar |
Important Tax Dates for small businesses for the month of April.
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Our firm provides the information in this e-newsletter for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services, investment advice, or professional consulting of any kind. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, accounting, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation. Tax articles in this e-newsletter are not intended to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding accuracy-related penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The information is provided "as is," with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose. |
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