Universal Service Fund: Background and Options for Reform

Gilroy, Angele A.

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.

关键词: Telecommunication;    Internet;    Technology;    Internet service providers;   

RP-ID  :  RL33979
RP-ID  :  RL33979_2011Apr11

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

This report discusses the idea that all Americans should be able to afford access to the telecommunications network; this is commonly called the “universal service concept” and can trace its origins back to the 1934 Communications Act. The current policy debate has focused on five concerns: the scope of the program; who should contribute and what methodology should be used to fund the program; eligibility criteria for benefits; concerns over possible program fraud, waste, and abuse; and the impact of the Antideficiency Act (ADA) on the USF.