This is a very good article about the quandary facing the state of Maine when it comes to how to cover the additional costs of providing service to rural areas in the modern era of telecom, which is very different than that world was when universal service requirements were created. The article presents arguments from the sides involved in what seems to me to be a fairly even manner.
The writer also points out something that I feel is a very important point. This situation will be being watched by many states across the country who have a similar problem. How it is resolved will be examined carefully by states with significant rural populations, including most of the Midwest and West.