Summary
The Supreme Court will review a case challenging the FCC’s authority over the Universal Service Fund (USF), which subsidizes broadband for low-income, rural communities, schools, and libraries.
The case questions whether Congress improperly delegated lawmaking power to the FCC and whether the FCC gave too much authority to the nonprofit managing the fund.
This follows the Court’s rollback of Chevron doctrine, which diminishes reliance on agency expertise.
A Fifth Circuit ruling deemed the USF’s funding structure unconstitutional, raising concerns about the future of affordable broadband access nationwide.
This is bigger than just fucking over poor people (which it it totally does). Every school in the country gets reduced internet costs thanks to USF, libraries can afford public WiFi for everyone thanks to USF, a lot of the broadband grants that came out after Covid had something to do with USF.
This is bigger than killing net neutrality, this is a step back from any public help for getting people connected.