USTelecom
Spring Cleaning at the FCC
We spend a lot of time talking about the future—of AI, of the nation’s economic competitiveness, of closing the digital divide. But too often, we’re forced to try and build that future on a foundation of regulations designed for a different world.
2024 Broadband Pricing Index: Broadband Prices Continue to Decline As Consumers Choose Faster Speeds
The fifth installment of USTelecom’s Broadband Pricing Index (BPI) shows that prices for high-speed broadband internet services continue to decline— even as upload and download speeds rapidly advance. Thanks to the world-leading pace of broadband infrastructure investment by the U.S. private sector1 and an intensive focus on fiber deployments, consumers have never had a stronger value proposition for their connectivity dollar. Key findings from the report include:
2024 Broadband Price Index
The fifth installment of USTelecom’s Broadband Pricing Index (BPI) shows that prices for high-speed broadband internet services continue to decline—even as upload and download speeds rapidly advance. Key findings include:
- 55% of broadband customers choose 100-940 Mbps service ("BPI-Speed")
- BPI-Speed prices dropped 9.4% in the last year and 60% since 2015
An Open Letter to Congress on the Future of Universal Connectivity
An appeals court ruled the current structure of the Universal Service Fund is unconstitutional. This decision puts at risk the high-speed connectivity of millions of rural and low-income Americans and the future trajectory of U.S. economic growth and global competitiveness. Now it’s Congress’s duty to promptly and decisively make clear the nation’s unwavering commitment to affordable, universal connectivity. The court’s fundamentally flawed decision hands Congress an enormously important opportunity to seize the initiative and ensure our nation’s abiding commitment to universal service.
USTelecom Letter to Commerce Secretary Adresses BEAD Low-Cost Service Requirement
USTelecom and more than 30 other broadband industry groups sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo covering several ideas for how the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) can remedy the issues posed by the rates being approved for the low-cost service option requirement in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD)Pprogram.
Saving the ACP: A Commitment to Connectivity
The US Congress faces an imminent decision about the future of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and the connectivity it delivers to 23 million households.
Bridging the Digital Divide: A Journey to Rural Oklahoma
Growing up in a bustling suburb, accessing the internet was something I took for granted. I never thought about internet access or access in other parts of the country. It wasn’t until I embarked on my journey at USTelecom that I began to learn about the challenges of deploying broadband in rural communities. I headed to Sulphur, Oklahoma, population 4,700, home to the Chickasaw Telephone Company, to better understand what it takes to deploy broadband in rural America. USTelecom members, like Chickasaw, are leading the way in connecting rural America.
Joint Statement on USF Contribution Decision
Today’s decision is a victory for the many rural and urban consumers and anchor institutions across the country who rely on the services supported by the federal Universal Service Fund. The USF has been, and continues to be, a critical tool to narrow the digital divide and help address connectivity gaps. The court’s ruling affirms that Congress’ directive to the FCC—over 25 years ago—to collect contributions in support of this vital Fund is constitutional. Other courts considering similar challenges should reach the same conclusion.
More Than 21 Million Reasons Congress Needs to Act
As the past few years have made clear, access to high-speed broadband is critical to daily life. While the biggest broadband provisions of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) focused on building physical broadband networks, legislators clearly understood all the infrastructure in the world would be meaningless if those struggling financially couldn’t afford connectivity.