CWA and 60 Organizations Submit Comments to FCC Opposing Proposal to Cap the Universal Service Fund

In comments submitted to the Federal Communications Commission this week, CWA joined more than 60 organizations – including the ACLU, Common Cause, NAACP, and The Leadership Conference – to oppose a new proposal to cap the Universal Service Fund, which supports programs like Lifeline and the Connect America Fund to make broadband service more affordable and accessible to lower-income families.

"When Congress codified the concept of universal service by enacting the Telecommunications Act of 1996, it called for the creation of different programs tailored to promote affordable communications services for those most in need, from students, library patrons, and rural hospitals to low-income and rural communities," CWA and the other groups said in the comments. "Grouped under a single umbrella of the Universal Service Fund, these programs are intended to work in concert to address the 'digital divide' and ensure that all consumers have access to high-quality and affordable communications."