Future of the Universal Service Fund and Broadband Policy in Congress and the Courts

The federal Universal Service Fund is under attack in the courts and on Capitol Hill. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals found the Universal Service Fund (USF) funding mechanism unconstitutional, and that case will soon be reviewed by the Supreme Court. Congress is also re-evaluating the future of the USF, the BEAD program, and the FCC's spectrum auction authority. The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition is a party to the Supreme Court case and is also holding discussions with the Congressional USF Working Group. John Windhausen, SHLB's Executive Director, will share his insights on these judicial and legislative efforts to reform the Universal Service Fund and will discuss likely changes in broadband policy in the Trump Administration.