USForward: FCC Must Reform USF Contributions Now - An Analysis of the Options

The current funding mechanism for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF) is under significant duress. The revenues subject to USF assessment have declined 63 percent in the last two decades, and in turn the contribution factor has risen dramatically, placing inequitable burdens on certain consumers and businesses and calling into question the sustainability of the USF programs. But there are solutions readily available to stabilize and save the USF which will ensure families, schools, hospitals, and rural communities stay connected to broadband and voice communication services. That is the message of the following paper from USF expert and former FCC official Carol Mattey, being presented by the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, INCOMPAS, and NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association.

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