The Future of Universal Service is Still in the Future

When it comes to broadband, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is about more than money. For example, Congress also directed the Federal Communications Commission to consider the impact of the law's $65 billion broadband investment on the FCC's existing broadband support programs under the umbrella of the Universal Service Fund (known to wonks as the USF). Congress asked for a report on the future of the USF including the FCC's options for improving its effectiveness in achieving the universal service goals for broadband in light of this COVID-era legislation including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Congress explicitly said that the FCC could make recommendations on further actions the Commission and Congress could take to improve the ability of the FCC to achieve the universal service goals for broadband, but the FCC could not make recommendations that in any way reduce the congressional mandate to achieve the universal service goals for broadband. Recommendations could expand the universal service goals for broadband, if the FCC believes such an expansion is in the public interest. The FCC sent that report to Congress this week and below we look at what the FCC is recommending about its universal goals for broadband, the four main USF programs, and how the USF is paid for.