Maggie Macfarlane
Reform to Universal Service Fund Still Urgently Needed, Say Experts
The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the constitutionality of the Universal Service Fund does little to solve the $9 billion program’s long-standing structural and financial flaws. The decision was a relief to telecommunications providers and communications advocates who feared catastrophe if the high court swung the other way. "You've got recipients who made clear to us that if this were to happen, you're talking about immediate bankruptcy and firing of companies and cutting back on serv
FCC Flooded with Comments Over Delay in Prison Phone Rate Caps
Nearly 1,000 public comments have poured into the Federal Communications Commission’s docket, protesting the agency’s decision to delay enforcement of rules designed to help incarcerated people connect with their loved ones. The outpouring comes in response to the FCC signaling on June 30 that it would delay enforcement of rules that were adopted in 2024 to lower the cost of phone and video calls from prisons until April
Ohio CWA: Don’t Use BEAD Money to Fund Starlink
Communications Workers of America in Ohio are speaking out against using federal dollars to subsidize satellite Internet providers like Elon Musk’s Starlink. "Satellite Internet service is a terrible use of public funds,” said the CWA in their signed petitions to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.