The wheels are finally turning on Universal Service Fund (USF) reform, after being a talking point for years without much progress by those in power. As it stands, communications providers contribute to the USF based on their interstate and international…
Broadband funding opportunities abound. The wave has grown over the years from the $4.5 billion CAF program to the tsunami of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, with $42.45 billion earmarked to expand high-speed internet access across the…
The FCC has taken a step toward USF contribution base reform. The commission asked Congress to “provide the commission with the legislative tools needed to make changes to the contributions methodology and base” for the Universal Service Fund (USF). The…
The FCC adopted a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) today seeking input on whether to increase the speeds that providers receiving rural broadband support through the A-CAM program would be required to deploy. The proposal recommends increasing the funding available…
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has proposed using E-Rate program funding to deploy Wi-Fi on school buses. Rosenworcel introduced the Declaratory Ruling, which must be adopted by the commission in order to go into effect, during a meeting of the National…
The FCC said today that it will not impose the high-cost Universal Service Fund (USF) budget control mechanism for the upcoming funding year. Budget control was scheduled to go into effect in July for small rural rate-of-return providers that have…
The FCC will vote later this month on a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) seeking input on a proposal to establish higher speed goals for small rural providers that receive broadband funding through the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program….
The FCC and Windstream Communications have agreed to a $1.2 million settlement for the carrier’s alleged violation of Rural Health Care Program (RHC) rules. The settlement includes a $200,000 civil penalty. The program provides financial support to eligible rural health…
In addition to making unprecedented funding available for broadband, the infrastructure act signed into law late last year also directed the FCC to study the impact of the new government broadband funding on the Universal Service Fund program. As part…
Several broadband provider associations, along with other entities numbering 332 in total, are taking another crack at persuading the FCC to expand the contribution base for the Universal Service Fund (USF) program to include broadband revenues. In a letter to…
A bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate would expand the Universal Service Fund (USF) contribution base. The USF includes four programs, which fund rural broadband and telecom deployments; low-income broadband; telecom, school and library connectivity; and a rural telehealth program….
Complying with the USAC’s requirements can be stressful. However, being non-compliant during the pre-testing phase isn’t the end of the world. In fact – it’s part of the process in most providers’ deployment journeys. As we jump into the fourth…
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