5th Circuit's USF Order Creates Change 'Opportunity,' ITIF Official Says

While a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling rejecting the FCC’s USF contribution methodology calls the entire USF into question, it also offers an “opportunity” for change, Joe Kane, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation director-broadband and spectrum policy, blogged Tuesday. Some experts say the case is likely headed for U.S. Supreme Court review (see 2407260044). “For years, policymakers have acknowledged the need to overhaul the USF because of its ballooning fees, potential for waste, and outdated priorities,” Kane said in a Broadband Breakfast blog: “Now, with its legal foundation in question, Congress has a clear mandate to reallocate funding to vital broadband programs like the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), while eliminating outdated and redundant initiatives.”