Universal Service Fund Working Group Request for Comment

The Universal Service Fund Working Group seeks public comment on the future of the Universal Service Fund (USF). The goal of this working group is to create a bipartisan forum to guide education, awareness, and policy-making on the USF. The working group invited comments on ten questions related to money collected from telecommunications companies that is dedicated to fulfilling the goals of universal service. How should Congress and the Federal Communications evaluate the effectiveness of the existing USF programs in achieving universal service goals for broadband? To what extent have the existing USF programs—1) High-Cost Support, 2) Low-Income Support, 3) Schools and Libraries Support, and 4) Rural Health Care Support—been effective in carrying out section 254 of the Communications Act of 1994? Is Congressional guidance needed to ensure future high-cost program rollouts, such as FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund phase II auction, are improved? Would a thorough and upfront vetting process be more efficient for federal dollars and recipient ISPs? The Universal Service Fund Working Group is accepting public input on these questions through Friday, August 25, 2023. Comments can be submitted via online forms as a single PDF file that includes your organization name and contact information. The working group includes Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), John Thune (R-SD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Jerry Moran (R-KS).