Lifeline/Low-Income Consumers

In the United States, millions of Americans lack a broadband connection at home due to the high cost and unaffordability of services. In 2021, Congress allocated nearly $65 billion for broadband programs through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. A large portion of these funds were allocated for the Broadband, Equity, Access, & Deployment and Digital Equity Act programs, which allocated funds to states for deploying infrastructure, promoting broadband adoption, and developing programs to develop digital skills.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced the counties in which conditional forbearance from the obligation to offer Lifeline-supported voice service applies.  This forbearance applies only to the Lifeline voice obligation of eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) that are designated for purposes of receiving both high-cost and Lifeline support (high-cost/Lifeline ETCs), and not to Lifeline-only ETCs. The 2016 Lifeline Order established conditional forbearance from Lifeline voice obligations in targeted areas where certain competitive condit

The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) submitted the federal Universal Service Support Mechanisms fund size and administrative cost projections for the fourth quarter of calendar year 2025 (4Q2025). USAC projects a consolidated budget of $75.59 million for 4Q2025. Direct costs for all support mechanisms total $32.76 million.

The Universal Service Fund Working Group—a bipartisan, bicameral group of Members of Congress—is seeking input from stakeholders across the country to explore the current state of the USF. The Working Group aims to provide a bipartisan forum to guide reforms to the USF, ensuring that connectivity reaches Americans in every community across the nation. The USF Working Group is seeking comments on a variety of questions relating to the effectiveness of USF programs and potential reforms. Stakeholders can file answers to these questions along with any additional comments through the USF Workin

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 serv

On Independence Day, President Donald Trump signed into law "The One, Big Beautiful Bill," revising the federal budget to fit the priorities of his administration. The legislation has made headlines for redirecting funding to military operations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and away from Medicaid and other social programs.

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society and its public interest allies have reason to celebrate an unambiguous victory at the U.S. Supreme Court. On July 27, in FCC v. Consumers Research, Justice Elena Kagan, joined by five colleagues, decisively rejected arguments that the Universal Service Fund (USF) established under the Communications Act is an unconstitutional delegation of Congressional authority to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Broadband-for-all advocates and telecom providers who serve rural areas have spent the last couple of years worried about whether the U.S. Supreme Court would essentially scuttle the Universal Service Fund, which helps to subsidize service in underserved, rural, and remote areas of the country as well as connect libraries and schools across the country.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr circulated an order that would save the American public millions of dollars by rejecting a request to expand a COVID-era waiver. Specifically, the circulated order denies a request by Lifeline providers to extend the FCC’s waiver of the program’s non-usage rules.

The denial of equitable access has been a defining feature throughout American history.