A sustainable fund requires vigilance and persistence.
SUMMARY
The June 27, 2025, Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) Opinion in FCC et al. v. Consumers’ Research et al. is an important milestone in the Universal Service Fund (USF) process. It sits in the middle of the process that the Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are engaged in to determine how to frame the future of USF. What are the inputs we expect will have the largest impact on what USF looks like in 2030?
IMPACTS WE ANTICIPATE
All three branches of government play a role. The Supreme Court has spoken. What do we expect the legislative and executive branches to do next?
- Congress wants to play: We expect the Senate Commerce Committee to be especially active this fall.
- BEAD Impacts Dominant? Will the current administration erroneously declare the mission is complete and undercut the need for ongoing Opex support that the FCC views as the basis of future support?
- Dodging the Truth: The USF faces a challenge from assertions that “satellite broadband is as good or better than terrestrial options.” This part of the debate could reduce the amount of USF available.
- State’s role in the equation: Most states are unable to absorb significant shifts of responsibility from federal to state to support high cost areas and social programs for income, health care and education.
- Significance of Broadband Access: USF provides billions of dollars in subsidies to support broadband access for underserved communities, schools, libraries, and rural healthcare providers. The Court recognized the importance of affordability in its decision. Work remains to ensure the legislative and executive branches support this important conclusion.
NEXT STEPS & VANTAGE POINT ASSISTANCE
Vantage Point Solutions (VPS) continues to be actively engaged in the major decisions impacting the USF and assists companies in USF compliance. This support includes services such as initial eligibility assistance, cost accounting, annual reporting, and contributing to the USF.
We will be providing a status report on these efforts at our Executive & Leadership Seminar in San Antonio on September 29, 2025.
