USF

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the Universal Service Fund unconstitutional The U.S. Supreme Court will review a circuit court ruling which held that the Universal Service Fund is unconstitutional. The U.S. Solicitor General asked SCOTUS to review a …

Court ruling reverses an earlier panel decision on USF constitutionality The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ruled that the mechanism by which the Universal Service Fund is funded and administered is unconstitutional, which imperils the existence …

Another $3.1 billion would fully fund eligible carrier requests The Biden administration has asked Congress for an additional $3.1 billion to fully fund small-and-medium-sized network operators’ efforts to remove and replace network gear and services from banned Chinese vendors. The …

The Universal Service Fund has survived a challenge to its constitutionality, with the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruling that the Federal Communications Commission has the authority to operate the USF and that its current framework …

Editor’s Note: RCR Wireless News goes all in for “Throwback Thursdays,” tapping into our archives to resuscitate the top headlines from the past. Fire up the time machine, put on those sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy …

The Federal Communications Commission has made a required report to Congress on the future of the Universal Service Fund, and one of the most hotly debated portions of the record was on how the USF should be funded. Some argued …

FCC cuts off Universal Service Fund money to buy and maintain US networks that use Chinese kit It’s been a long time coming but, despite the protracted journey, reaching the destination still stings for the small and rural domestic mobile …

Funds are aimed at hardening and improving U.S. territories’ mobile networks The Federal Communications Commission has authorized $237.9 million in Universal Service Fund dollars to mobile broadband networks in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. That figure includes the …

FCC proposed rulemaking permanently modifies rules for educational Wi-Fi projects The Federal Communications Commission is looking to make it easier for Wi-Fi projects at schools and libraries to be funded under federal mechanisms. The FCC tested out a “category two” …

Geoffrey Starks tapped to replace Mignon Clyburn on FCC A Senate-led pushback on the repeal of net neutrality, a rapidly shifting relationship between service providers and content producers, national intelligence concerns regarding the use of network infrastructure and devices from …

MTN Nigeria works with Huawei to reduce infrastructure TCO While its growth trajectory in the U.S. rural carrier market is currently up in the air, Huawei continues to enable rural connectivity in underserved geographies around the world. The infrastructure giant …

  Communications technology has undergone a phase of rapid innovation, completely transforming the way businesses and consumers relay and consume information. Now that our once-wired world has been almost entirely replaced by a landscape of wireless technologies, the ripple effects …

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai recently called a halt to what were termed midnight regulations passed by his predecessor. Editor’s Note: The RCR Wireless News Reality Check section is where C-level executives and advisory firms from across the mobile industry share …

The FCC dropped plans to tackle a trio of controversial telecom topics at its November open meeting as transition begins, including USF, BDS and VoLTE roaming. In the wake of the somewhat surprising presidential election results, the Federal Communications Commission …

Story edited to clarify Sprint deal is not with T-Mobile US affiliate IWireless Sprint plans to merge its Assurance business with I-Wireless’ Access Wireless in a move to improve targeting of government’s Lifeline program Sprint is parsing out one of …

Total Call accused of rampant abuse of FCC Lifeline program, including enrollment of duplicate and ineligible customers On the heels of adopting reforms to its government subsidized Lifeline telecom service, the Federal Communications Commission announced a record $51 million fine …

The FCC unanimously approved USF reform rules in a push to expand broadband coverage to communities most in need The Federal Communications Commission approved what it’s calling modernization and reform of its universal service program in a rare unanimous vote. …

Washington, Nebraska, New York, Illinois and Missouri have the highest wireless tax rates Research group the Tax Foundation, in a new report, found that the average wireless consumer in the U.S. pays a combined 18% rate in federal, state and local …

FCC found TracFone violated device-unlocking rules for Lifeline customers TracFone Wireless ran afoul of the Federal Communications Commission’s device unlocking requirements tied to its Lifeline service offerings that could cost the prepaid provider more than $83 million. The FCC’s Enforcement …

LAS VEGAS — Following up on a conversation he had earlier in the day with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler, Competitive Carriers Association CEO and President Steve Berry talked with RCR Wireless News about how he felt Wheeler’s comments …

The Federal Communications Commission gained a court victory in support of its Universal Service Fund reform efforts, with a federal appeals court upholding the agency’s Connect America program that is designed to subsidize rural broadband services. Under former FCC Chairman …

The Federal Communications Commission moved forward with its controversial Mobility Fund, announcing the release of a public notice with the procedures for “phase one” of the reverse auction for universal service fund support. The fund is expected to provide up …

2012 is forecasting to be a pivotal year for regional wireless carriers across the United States. Many of the issues we have been combating for several years will still be plaguing regional carriers, along with new issues that arise every …