New Rules for New Technology

[Commentary] The proposal from the Federal Communications Commission to stop subsidizing rural phone lines and start subsidizing rural broadband connections is long overdue. Right now an estimated 14 million to 28 million Americans have no way of getting access to the Internet. The Universal Service Fund was established in the 1990s to provide subsidies to telecommunications companies to install lines and hook up phones in areas where there weren't enough subscribers to guarantee them a profit. Last year, the fund spent about $8 billion to support rural phones and subsidize phones in poor neighborhoods, schools and libraries. The fund has fulfilled its original mission, and it needs to meet new technological demands. Virtually all of the country’s rural areas now have access to land lines or cellphone coverage. The real deficit is access to high-speed broadband, which can also deliver phone service. The United States urgently needs a better communications network for the 21st century. The Federal Communications Commission plan is a good one. The commissioners should approve it.