Verizon Communications Inc. spent nearly $3.9 million in the first quarter to lobby on various Internet matters, electronic surveillance legislation and other issues, according to a disclosure report.
The carrier also lobbied the federal government on legislation involving telephone taxes, patent reform, intellectual property, health technology and other health care issues.
Verizon also supports reform of a federal program _ paid for by a tax on the phone bills of most Americans _ that subsidizes Internet service in rural areas.
Wireless providers have come to rely on the fund for a substantial part of their revenue, but the Federal Communications Commission recently approved a cap on such subsidies to those carriers. The move could benefit big telephone companies, such as Verizon, whose customers are the biggest contributors to the fund.
In the January-to-March period, the New York-based company lobbied Congress, White House and the Treasury, Health and Human Services and Labor departments, according to the report filed April 21 with the House clerk's office.
Marcela Zamora, senior policy director for Hispanic affairs for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is among those registered to lobby for the company, the report noted.
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