Sixty-One US Senators Call on FCC to Modernize Support for Rural Broadband Services

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and fellow Committee Member Sen Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released a letter signed by sixty-one Senators to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler calling for a modernization of rules intended to ensure that Americans in rural areas have access to affordable broadband services. Under current rules, Universal Service Fund (USF) support for broadband in rural areas is dependent on the outdated requirement that customers also sign up for traditional landline phone service. When rural customers “cut the cord” of traditional phone service in favor of wireless or Internet-based phone services, rural communities served by smaller telecommunication providers lose access to USF support for broadband deployment even if the customer continues to pay for broadband Internet service. The outdated rules create a needless link between customers signing up for services they may not want or need and broadband deployment.