Topic
Universal Service Fund
209 published works
Rural Spectrum Scanner
Fifth Circuit Vacates USF Contribution Factor, Find FCC Lacked Authority to Create USAC
On October 15, in a significant development for the telecom industry, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (Fifth Circuit) granted a Petition for Review in Consumers’ Research…
Rural Spectrum Scanner
FCC Reviewing USF Administration
The FCC has adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) aimed at strengthening the administration and management of the Universal Service Fund (USF) and the Commission’s oversight of the Universal…
Rural Spectrum Scanner
USF Contribution Factor Hits New Record
The FCC’s Office of Managing Director (OMD) has proposed a universal service contribution factor of 0.388 or 38.8 percent for the third quarter of 2026. The FCC said it will…
Rural Spectrum Scanner
FCC Suspends Seven Individuals from Participating in USF Programs
The FCC has suspended seven people from participating in Universal Service Fund (USF) programs. Each individual receiving a Notice of Suspension has been found guilty of a crime related to…
Rural Spectrum Scanner
37 Percent USF Contribution Factor Proposed for Q2 2026
The FCC’s Office of Managing Director (OMD) has proposed a universal service contribution factor of 0.370 or 37.0 percent for the second quarter of 2026. Calculated by balancing cost projections…
Rural Spectrum Scanner
A-CAM I Location Adjustment Window Open Now; Closes April 6
The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau has issued a Public Notice announcing that the filing window for Alternative Connect America Cost Model I carriers to submit their certifications opens today, February…
Rural Spectrum Scanner
Consumers Research Leads Another Appeal of USF Mechanism
Consumers’ Research, Cause Based Commerce, Inc., and 16 individuals have petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to review the FCC’s recent approval of the Universal Service…
Rural Spectrum Scanner
FCC Announces Proposed USF Contribution Factor for Q4 of 2025
The FCC’s Office of Managing Director has announced that the proposed universal service contribution factor for the fourth quarter of 2025 will be 38.1 percent, an increase from the previous…
Rural Spectrum Scanner
FCC Orders Companies to Repay USF Following Audit Reviews
The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) has ordered seven phone companies to repay over $9 million to the Universal Service Fund (USF) after audits discovered overpayments of federal support. The…
Comm Law Center
Contributing to Reform: Congress Seeks Public Input on Reforming Universal Service
By Jodi A. Goldberg, Adam J. Sandler, Elizabeth Craig
By Jodi A. Goldberg, Adam J. Sandler and Elizabeth Craig Following the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) authority to administer the Universal Service Fund…