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LGBT Tech Joins Coalition Letter Urging Congress to Reform the Universal Service Fund

Gautham Sharma
7 minutes ago
2 min read

LGBT Tech has signed onto a coalition letter, organized by the National Urban League, urging the Congressional Universal Service Fund (USF) Working Group to protect broadband affordability and ensure a sustainable universal service system.


USF, run by the FCC, subsidizes phone and broadband service for communities and institutions where affordable service may not otherwise exist. USF is made up of four programs: Lifeline, which subsidizes phone and broadband service for low-income households; E-Rate, which funds internet connectivity for schools and libraries; the Rural Health Care Program, which helps rural healthcare providers afford telecom and broadband; and the High-Cost Program, which provides subsidies to carriers to expand networks to rural and remote areas. The Working Group was formed to evaluate and propose reforms to the USF’s funding structure.


The letter asks the Working Group to:

  • Protect broadband affordability;

  • Broaden the contribution base rather than shifting the financial burden to consumers;

  • Preserve USF’s core mission by keeping the four programs in balance with one another, rather than viewing them as competing priorities; and

  • Ensure a sustainable universal service system that can reliably support these programs over the long term.


For LGBTQ+ communities, reliable broadband access is often the only path to community, health care, and safety that may not be available in physical spaces. This need is even more acute in rural areas, where LGBTQ+ people already face disproportionately high rates of poverty and housing instability. Our polling shows that 63% of LGBTQ+ adults are concerned about the cost of their internet or mobile service, and 45% are concerned about availability of service in their area. USF’s programs help make connectivity possible for LGBTQ+ communities that might not otherwise have it.


LGBT Tech will continue to advocate for a USF that serves the needs of LGBTQ+ people, especially those in rural, low-income, or underserved communities who depend on it most.


The full coalition letter can be found here.


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