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 service to many parts of America," said former Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O'Rielly. “That's not a good outcome.”