USF ruling hands Congress ‘enormously important opportunity’ – USTelecom CEO
With last week’s court ruling declaring the Universal Service Fund (USF) unconstitutional, some in the industry are ramping up pressure on Congress to take action on USF reform.
With last week’s court ruling declaring the Universal Service Fund (USF) unconstitutional, some in the industry are ramping up pressure on Congress to take action on USF reform.
In an open letter published on Friday, Jonathan Spalter, CEO of USTelecom, called the fifth circuit court’s decision “fundamentally flawed,” and said it “hands Congress an enormously important opportunity to seize the initiative and ensure our nation’s abiding commitment to universal service.”
Spalter further used the letter to call attention to the specific kind of reform he and his organization have been lobbying for – which is to include Big Tech companies in the USF’s contribution base.
“The broadband connectivity that the USF enables in turn drives the entire U.S. technology and internet ecosystem,” said Spalter, adding that Big Tech platforms “have long dominated the global internet but don’t contribute to our shared national commitment to universal connectivity.”