Universal Service is an Ongoing Responsibility

A new "consensus-driven roadmap" on the future of the Universal Service Fund argues that universal service should be understood as an ongoing responsibility, not a goal to achieve, and offers six principles for Universal Service Fund reform. A cross-sector task force co-chaired by two former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) commissioners has released a consensus framework intended to guide Congress as it considers the future of the Universal Service Fund (USF), the roughly $8 billion-a-year system that subsidizes telecommunications service for rural areas, schools and libraries, rural health care providers, and low-income households. The Future of Universal Service Reform Task Force, chaired by Mignon Clyburn and Rachelle Chong, "was convened to explore how the nation's universal service policies should evolve to meet the communications needs of the twenty-first century." Participants "represented a broad range of perspectives, including consumer advocates, industry representatives, education and health care stakeholders, public interest organizations, and policy experts." The initiative was launched through a partnership between Keep Our Communities Connected (KOCC) and the Schools, Health, and Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, with organizational leadership from InnovateEDU CEO Erin Mote and SHLB Executive Director Joseph Wender.