On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court issued a ruling preserving the future of the Universal Service Fund (USF). In a 6-3 decision, the Justices decided Congress delegated the appropriate level of authority to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to assess fees to fund USF and that the FCC is managing the fund appropriately.
NDIA applauds the Supreme Court for affirming that the USF is essential and Constitutional. NDIA, Media Justice, and the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society were intervenors in the case, filed an Amicus Brief, and championed the case on behalf of our 2000+ affiliates.
Now it’s time to get to work to modernize USF and ensure it provides a robust affordability program for low-income households. We look forward to doing that good and important work with all of you.
NDIA’s official statement is below:
“Today’s Supreme Court decision affirms what digital inclusion advocates, educators, health providers, and community leaders have long known: the Universal Service Fund is an essential tool in the connectivity toolbox, helping to ensure that every American can access affordable, reliable communications services. This decision protects the communications safety net that millions of people rely on every day. But our work is far from over.
NDIA’s 2,000+ affiliates witness the benefits of the USF program every day. It helps connect over 100,000 schools, 12,000 libraries, 54 million students, 16,000 rural health care providers, and more than 7.5 million low-income households. For decades, it has been a vital lifeline, helping low-income families, veterans, and students get and stay connected to their doctors, classrooms, jobs, communities, and loved ones.
Yet the systematic cancellation and weakening of other programs intended to close the digital divide, like the Digital Equity Act, the Affordable Connectivity Program, and the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, puts more strain on USF than ever before. We urge Congress to seize this moment and modernize the USF, ensuring it meets the needs of all communities now and in the future.”
– Angela Siefer, Executive Director, National Digital Inclusion Alliance