SHLB Presses Congress to Strengthen and Modernize USF

Washington, D.C. (September 15, 2025) – The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition submitted comments to the Universal Service Fund (USF) Working Group, urging Congress to preserve and improve the USF as the nation’s most effective and essential broadband fund that connects anchor institutions nationwide.

In its letter, SHLB particularly stressed the importance of the E-Rate and Rural Health Care (RHC) programs to the communities they serve:

“The USF has been, and continues to be, a critical funding resource for anchor institutions (including schools, libraries, and rural health care clinics) and the rural and urban communities they serve. It is the largest, bipartisan federal funding program that provides consistent, predictable financial support to ensure that high-speed broadband is available and affordable to these critical community anchor institutions.” 

SHLB also explained the consequences of cutting funding from the E-Rate and RHC programs: 

“Without this necessary funding, the communities they serve would be left behind: students lacking adequate broadband at home could not complete homework, apply for college or jobs, or otherwise prepare for their future; unconnected individuals, adult learners, and veterans would not be able to find employment, start their own businesses, or engage with essential services that define modern-day life; and those residing in remote and Tribal areas would not have access to life-saving healthcare, remote education, and online resources provided by libraries.”

The comments further called on Congress and the FCC to align USF programs with modern connectivity and technology requirements:

“Whether it be AI or a number of other emerging technologies, success in the future will rest on our ability to ensure our communities have the broadband infrastructure and programs that meet our current and future connectivity needs.”

Key Recommendations

SHLB’s comments outline several steps to strengthen and modernize the fund, including:

• Preserving and strengthening E-Rate and RHC programs while streamlining their administration.

• Expanding the USF contribution base to stabilize the funding mechanism, while rejecting proposals to subject USF to the annual appropriations process.

• Establishing multi-gigabit benchmarks for schools, libraries, and health clinics to meet growing speed and bandwidth demand.

• Supporting cybersecurity protections for schools, libraries, and health clinics.

Real-World Impact

The filing also highlights examples from across the country — from Fresno Unified School District using E-Rate to modernize learning for 25,000 students, to Providence Health leveraging RHC funding to provide life-saving diagnostic care in rural hospitals — demonstrating why the USF remains vital.

Read the full comments here.

Media Availability

SHLB’s executive director Joey Wender is available for interviews. For more information, visit www.shlb.org or follow @SHLBcoalition on LinkedIn, Facebook, or X.

###

About SHLB: The SHLB Coalition is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) advocacy organization that supports open, affordable, high-quality broadband connections for anchor institutions and their surrounding communities. The SHLB Coalition is based in Washington, D.C., and has a diverse membership of commercial and non-commercial organizations across the United States. To learn more, visit www.shlb.org.