Computer & Communication Industry Association

Broadband Revenues Fund Universal Service at a Low, Stable Contribution Factor

PublishedOctober 15, 2026
Written By
  • Trevor Wagener

The Universal Service Fund (USF) contribution base is shrinking, leading to a spiraling contribution factor assessed on the contribution base. Broadband revenues are roughly eight times the size of the shrinking, existing telecommunications base and continue to grow. Bringing broadband revenues into the contribution base would fully fund universal service over the next decade at a stable factor between 4 and 5 percent under the baseline assumptions, ending the spiral in which an ever-smaller tax base pays an ever-larger tax rate year after year.

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  • Digital Economy
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