The Universal Service Fund’s necessity in today’s America

Ensuring universal access to voice, internet, and emergency communications services should be something that requires no debate. It is a bedrock concept that Congress has locked into the law for a century as broadband has become the primary conduit to access local, state, and federal government services, setup a doctor’s appointment, pay your taxes, and interact with your school system, just to name a few examples. Making sure every citizen, regardless of geographic location or income, has access to the information economy is not a luxury, but a necessity, given the dependence our society and its most vital institutions have built upon it. It is a fundamental concept that Congress has locked into law for a century. You need look no further than Section 1 of the Communications Act of 1934: “to make available, so far as possible to all the people of the United States a rapid, efficient, nationwide, and worldwide wire and radio communication service with adequate facilities at reasonable charges.” The FCC established the first Universal Service Fund program over 40 years ago, and Congress, in enacting the Telecommunications Act of 1996, created our modern USF programs—High-Cost, E-Rate, Lifeline, and Rural Telehealth—to address the digital divide, making sure that everyone had a fair shot to get online. But the FCC is now considering cutting back USF.

[Gary Bolton is President and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association.]