Funding

Task Force Calls for Congress to Cement USF’s Legal, Financial Foundations

Report advocates modernization as FCC considers retrenchment across major programs

Jericho Casper

Aug 19, 2026 — 3 min read

Photo of Mignon Clyburn, principal at MLC Strategies and a former commissioner at the FCC, by Wade Spees.

WASHINGTON, August 19, 2026 – Congress should reinforce, not retreat from, the Universal Service Fund as the nation moves deeper into the broadband era, a report released Tuesday argues.

The report, released by Keep Our Communities Connected and the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, finds that the USF has “never been static” and should continue to evolve as communications technology changes. It calls on Congress to address the long-term structural, legal, and financial sustainability of the $8+ billion fund, while preserving its core mission of ensuring affordable, reliable communications access for all Americans.

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