NYT Editorial Brings Focus to Dire Need for USF Reform

The Universal Service Fund, which currently supports affordable telephone service, urgently needs to be updated for today's communications market. As profiled in a recent New York Times editorial, an FCC proposal for the fund would shift its focus to supporting high-speed broadband.

Established in the 1990s, the $8 billion annual USF provides subsidies for phone lines in high-cost rural communities and phone services for low-income households. A modernized USF could help these communities connect to the Internet.

The CWA is a strong proponent of Universal Service Fund reform and has long advocated its modernization.

New Rules for New Technology (New York Times)

CWA Supports Universal Service Fund Reform (Speed Matters)

How to Reform Universal Service Fund to Support Broadband (Speed Matters)