- Large technical profits from broadband but pay nothing to support the networks they are dependent on
- This bill will make technological companies eventually contribute to the networks they use to build brands of billion dollars
- Legislation changes broadband cost burden from everyday users to corporate giants
A new wave of broadband reform wins traction in the United States, and it is ready to reshape how Internet access is financed, especially for underrated rural areas.
The essence of this effort is the reintroduction of Lowering broadband costs for the Consumer Act of 2025 of the American Congress. It is a Topart proposal aimed at setting a long -term financing imbalance.
Currently, many tech giants that are strongly dependent on broadband infrastructure do not contribute to its funding. The law would ensure that they do so, which helps expand Universal Service Fund (USF).
A Toparts -Scrub to fix broadband financing
The USF, originally designed to ensure universal access to telephone services, has since evolved to support broadband in rural and tribal areas.
However, its funding is still primarily from voting service subscribers who now pay far more than they did two decades ago.
For example, a user can buy a mobile router and pay for broadband access just to use social media. The user can also pay these platforms directly through subscriptions or purchases in the app. Despite the fact that we ourselves are dependent on the broadband infrastructure, the platforms themselves contribute nothing to its costs.
This imbalance is at the center of a legal challenge currently pending before the US Supreme Court.
The new proposal aims to move the cost burden from everyday consumers to large tech companies, such as Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Meta and Tiktok, whose services drive the most broadband traffic, including it through WiFi routers.
This is not a whole new idea. It mirrors a model that technological companies already use to sell cloud services: Payment based on use and features. Since contributions would come from business services such as cloud computing, digital advertising and AI infrastructure, there would be no additional costs for consumers.
If implemented, the policy would remove the USF fee from telephone bills and offer direct relief to users. It could pave the way for the best broadband agreement for years by lowering supplements.
Via Strandconsult
