Universal Broadband

This article considers some of the possible changes to the Universal Service Fund (USF):

President-elect Trump has tasked Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk with eliminating federal government waste through the Department of Government Efficiency. We believe there’s a huge opportunity to reduce government spending while improving service—by relocating more federal services online, supported by robust internet connections.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved and recommended for award applications from Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Maryland, North Dakota, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, allowing them to request access to more than $60.6 million to implement their Digital Equity Plans. With this announcement, NTIA has approved and recommended for award all state and U.S. Territory applications for the first round of funding from the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program.

In September, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Census Bureau announced an ambitious new initiative to improve our understanding of Internet use at a local level. Local Estimates of Internet Adoption (Project LEIA) is aimed at producing more granular Internet adoption estimates using a combination of existing data and statistical modeling techniques known as “small area estimation.” Improved and more timely estimates of Internet adoption will

As we close out 2024, one question hanging over next year is what will come of federal broadband funding for high-cost and low-income programs?

Chairman-Elect Brett Guthrie (R-KY) announced the House Commerce Committee Subcommittee Chairs and Vice Chairs for the 119^th Congress: 

• Vice Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee- John Joyce (R-PA)

The Federal Communications Commission grants RiverStreet Communications of Virginia, Inc. a limited waiver of the Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) service milestone and non-compliance rules. We will relieve RiverStreet of RDOF obligations to serve all the eligible census blocks within the census block groups covered by RiverStreet’s authorized winning bids in New Kent County (VA).

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel hereby appoints eight members to the Board of Directors of the Universal Service Administrative Company. The individuals are: 

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program is underway and on track, and the 10-year initiative is expected to continue as planned when a new presidential administration takes over the White House in January. Experts argue the new administration will not impact the program’s continuation, but 

It is not controversial to say that the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF) program is unsustainable. Something must change. Universal Service Fund programs cover the cost of maintaining telephone service in high-cost areas, wiring rural schools, libraries, and healthcare facilities for the internet, and providing devices and services at discounted rates to low-income households.