ProPublica Investigation Prompts Debate on USF Reform
The report scrutinized the incentive structure of the Alaska Connect Fund subsidies.
WASHINGTON, May 28, 2026 – Questions over oversight of the federal Universal Service Fund resurfaced this week after ProPublica published an investigation into Alaska telecom subsidies and companies tied to rural broadband executive Roger Shoffstall.
Shoffstall is the CEO of the Summit Telephone Company, which provides telecommunications services. Summit Telephone is a participant in the FCC’s Alaska Plan, a federal Universal Service Fund support mechanism designed to sustain communications service in remote Alaska communities.
