WTA Welcomes Supreme Court Ruling Upholding Constitutionality of Universal Service Fund
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 27, 2025) – WTA – Advocates for Rural Broadband applauds today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that the Federal Universal Service Fund (USF) is constitutional, a welcome relief to those who depend on robust rural broadband networks. The USF provides vital support for the construction, upgrade, and maintenance of rural networks, as well as subsidized broadband connections to schools, libraries, rural health care institutions, and Americans with low-incomes.
“We’re relieved that the Court recognized the constitutionality of the USF and rejected the erroneous arguments made by the plaintiff in today’s ruling,” said Derrick Owens, WTA’s Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Affairs. “As we highlighted in our amicus brief, there would have been significant harm to rural America had the court sided with the Fifth Circuit’s en banc decision.”
“Now that this legal cloud is, hopefully, behind us, we urge Congress and the FCC to make the needed modernizations to USF and update its contribution and distribution mechanisms so that our nation has a sustainable, sufficient fund for the future.”
Full release found here.