The Universal Service Fund (USF) was created in the 1996 Telecommunications Act to administer the Lifeline, High-Cost, Rural Healthcare, and E-Rate programs and help increase access to broadband. The USF is administered by the nonprofit Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), which was created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The October 15, 2026, the United […]
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 gave the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the authority to provide funding for universal service obligations in Section 254, which provided a mechanism for creating the Universal Service Fund (USF) through consultation with a Federal-State Joint Board, established the four basic programs funded by the USF, and permitted the FCC to […]
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 was enacted to “encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and his environment; to promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and biosphere and stimulate the health and welfare or man; to enrich the understanding of the ecological systems and natural resources important […]
Government-owned networks (GONs) are an expensive and ineffective response to broadband affordability concerns. On August 31, 2026, the James Madison Institute released a policy brief outlining how municipal broadband projects crowd out private sector investment and leave local taxpayers and energy ratepayers footing the bill. In Ocala, Florida, local officials are proposing to spend an […]
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law on November 15, 2021, included $42.45 billion for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding program, which was intended by Congress to deploy broadband to unserved and underserved communities across the nation. None of those funds were allocated during the remainder of the […]
The Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (PITFA) made permanent the moratorium on state and local internet access taxes and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce. The legislation, which was signed into law on February 24, 2016, continues to protect consumers from taxation on their internet services and taxes on internet advertising that could be […]
The proposed $34.5 billion merger between Cox Communications and Charter Communications made it through the last review needed to finalize the deal when it was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Citizens Against Government Waste wrote to the CPUC on February 4, 2026, spotlighting the consumer benefits that would be derived from the […]
Funding is heading to the states from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The expeditious and efficient use of these funds to connect unserved and underserved areas of the country depends on state and local governments ensuring that the permitting process does not impede or […]
World Wi-Fi Day has been celebrated every year since 2007 on June 20, and in 2026, it has turned into World Wi-Fi Week. It was established to commemorate Wi-Fi’s ability to connect people and help bridge the digital divide as well as reinforce how Wi-Fi is used in homes, businesses, and public areas. According to […]
The most noticeable results of stealing copper wire and other telecommunications equipment are the physical evidence of the theft and the loss of connections for businesses and consumers to telecommunications networks. But the impact is far more pervasive and often dire, as noted in two reports released during the June 4, 2026, Telecom Industry Summit: Protecting Critical Communications […]
