Sen Capito Floats USF As Possible ACP Funding Source

Sen Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) indicated to West Virginia TV station WTRF that Capitol Hill lawmakers were looking at the Universal Service Fund as a source of money for the Affordable Connectivity Program. The USF has about $8.5 billion to fund telecommunications providers in high-cost areas and connect schools and libraries to the Internet throughout the country, accounting for about 80% of the USF’s total annual budget. The ACP began with $14.2 billion in late 2021 to connect low-income households with $30 monthly discounts on their Internet bills. But April will be the ACP's last month without new funding from Congress. Sen Capito did not offer any details on how Congress would go about tapping the USF to extend the ACP beyond April.