USF Contribution and Distribution Reform: Imagining What Is Possible

Wednesday, October 7, 2026
01:15 - 02:15 PM
Room: TBD

How can the next chapter of universal service preserve its foundational promise while equipping America’s anchor institutions to meet the
opportunities and challenges of the next generation? For nearly three decades, the Universal Service Fund, particularly through E-Rate and the Rural Health Care Program, has strengthened America’s schools, libraries, and
health care providers. These programs represent one of the nation’s most successful
public investments in connectivity, enabling community anchor institutions to educate students, improve health outcomes, expand access to information, and strengthen the communities they serve. This conversation begins from a simple premise: E-Rate and the Rural Health Care Program have been extraordinary successes. The question is not whether they remain essential. The question is how that success should inform the next generation of universal service.
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