On May 31, 2019, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on creating a budget cap on the overall Universal Service Fund. The FCC “…seeks comment on combining the E-Rate and Rural Healthcare Program caps. Schools, libraries, and healthcare facilities increasingly offer important community resources over their broadband networks. Combining the program caps may be justifiable given that both programs promote the use of advanced services to anchor institutions that have similar needs for high-quality broadband services…”
The Federal Register published the regulations on June 13, 2019. The comment deadline is July 15 and the reply comments are due by August 12, 2019.
