By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 5-11-22
The Senate appears to be getting serious about making edge providers including streamers and search engines pay into the Universal Service Fund. The USF subsidizes advanced telecommunications – essentially broadband – to low-income and hard-to-reach areas of the country.
Currently, the fund is paid into by telecom providers, but with the move from traditional phones to broadband as the connectivity of choice, the sustainability of the subsidy program is at issue.
The Senate Commerce Committee on May 11 approved S. 2427, the Funding Affordable Internet with Reliable Contributions (FAIR Contributions) Act, which now heads to the Senate floor. » Read More