Universal Service Fund

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a petition filed by the Connect America Fund Phase II Coalition (Phase II Coalition), a group of 14 carriers authorized to receive support through the CAF Phase II Auction program. Specifically, the Phase II Coalition requests a waiver of the requirement to reduce support on a per location basis (pro rata reduction) in situations where the total number of qualifying locations within the state is within 35% of the carrier’s CAF Phase II Auction defined deployment obligation for that state (35% threshold). In

The Federal Communications Commission approved $237.9 million in funding over three years to expand, improve, and harden mobile broadband networks in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Specifically, in Stage 2 of the Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund and Connect USVI Fund, the FCC authorized $233.9 million to three carriers serving Puerto Rico and $4 million to one carrier serving the US Virgin Islands.

Educators told the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pension (HELP) Committee on June 10 that access to technology is key to reopening schools in the new normal of COVID-19 and they could use some help in the form of government dollars. John King, former Education Secretary under President Barack Obama, said that before COVID-19, 79% of households had broadband versus only 66% of black households and 61% of Hispanic households.

Rep  G. K. Butterfield (D-NC) introduced the Expanding Opportunities for Broadband Deployment Act to increase access to and speed the deployment of broadband to households and small businesses currently without this vital service. The bill will enable more broadband service providers to participate in the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Fund (USF) programs by eliminating an outdated requirement that only internet service providers designated as eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) may receive USF dollars.

The Federal Communications Commission's Office of Managing Director (OMD) announces that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the third quarter of 2020 will be 0.265 or 26.5 percent. The Federal Communications Commission calculates the quarterly contribution factor based on the ratio of total projected quarterly costs of the universal service support mechanisms to contributors’ total projected collected end-user interstate and international telecommunications revenues, net of projected contributions.

The Federal Communications Commission authorized over $7.4 million in funding over ten years to expand rural broadband in Oklahoma and Oregon. Tribal provider Redwire will receive $4,766,845.60 to provide fixed broadband of at least 25/3 Mbps to 8,041 rural homes and businesses in Oklahoma, including in Tribal areas. Viasat will serve 3,811 rural locations in Oregon with $2,708,529.40 in FCC support. Together these investments will connect 11,852 unserved rural homes and businesses.  

This week, the Federal Communications Commission established procedures for the first phase of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction (Auction 904, if you're scoring at home).

Approximately 1,900 individuals and organizations wrote to Congress endorsing draft legislation to connect students and library patrons at home during the coronavirus pandemic. The draft proposal, the “Remote Learning During COVID-19 Act,” would appropriate $5.25 billion to an emergency fund to connect the millions of families who don’t have internet at home.

As Virginians have been adapting to a new way of life during the coronavirus outbreak, high-speed internet access has become a necessity, now more than ever. The coronavirus emergency has only exacerbated the burden of internet insecurity and the consequences of inadequate access for rural Americans. That is why, in April, I wrote a letter to House and Senate leadership advocating for the inclusion of rural connectivity capabilities in future coronavirus stimulus packages, including key legislation that I have put forward in Congress. In March, I introduced the Serving Rural America Act.