Washington, D.C. –U.S. Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) introduced the Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act of 2025 to direct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to require proper contributions to the Universal Service Fund (USF) from edge providers and broadband providers. Requiring edge providers to cover associated costs for rural fiber networks will reduce the financial burden on consumers and rural providers while strengthening broadband connectivity throughout rural America.

In Oklahoma, less than half of all rural residents have access to broadband Internet, a necessity most people across the country have enjoyed at a low cost for years. More than 30 percent of individuals living on Tribal land across the U.S. do not have access to high-speed internet. 

“Fair contributions to the USF from edge providers are long overdue,” said Senator Mullin. “Video streaming services account for 75 percent of all traffic on rural broadband networks. However, unrecovered costs from streaming companies are often shifted and borne by small rural broadband providers. Available, affordable internet will close the digital divide and increase telehealth, educational, and employment opportunities for those who previously went without. Rural Oklahomans deserve the same connectivity as those living in urban areas.”

“In an interconnected world, high-speed internet access is part of our daily lives – from scheduling a doctor’s appointment to keeping in touch with family,” said Senator Kelly. “This bipartisan bill will have big corporations contribute to the expansion of affordable high-speed internet in areas that desperately need it.” 

“Chickasaw Telephone Company wishes to thank Senator Markwayne Mullin, Senator Mark Kelly, and Senator Mike Crapo for introducing the Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act of 2025. This bill recognizes that the Universal Service Fund rules written in 1996 aren’t applicable today, nor was the funding mechanism that was adopted decades ago. This bill takes the funding burden off those who are the smallest users of the network and places it fairly and rationally on the largest financial beneficiaries of the network,” Larry Jones, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Chickasaw Holding Company.

“We are pleased and encouraged by the Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act of 2025.  Senators Mullin and Kelly are true leaders for consumers and rural areas. During times of economic struggle for many in America, this bill would lessen the burden on families when they pay for the internet.  This legislation would also help modernize how broadband network deployment and maintenance is supported and paid for in the future.  We thank the Senators for introducing this ground-breaking bill,” Mark Gailey, President and CEO of Totah Communications, Inc.

“The Universal Service Fund is a vital tool for ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable broadband, which is why WTA – Advocates for Rural Broadband supports the Lowering Costs for Broadband Consumers Act. This legislation would provide the FCC the authority it needs to ensure that all businesses that profit from the broadband network support the construction, maintenance, and upgrades of the network. It makes no sense to continue to rely on telephone customers alone. We thank the Senators for introducing this bipartisan bill and look forward to working with Congress and the FCC to modernize the USF contributions mechanism,” Derrick Owens, Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Affairs, WTA.

“NTCA applauds the introduction of the Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act, which would promote more predictable and stable funding to preserve and advance the statutory mission of universal service. As traditional telecommunications revenues decline, the assessment on the remaining consumers of such services increases, resulting in a disproportionate burden on those consumers even though they are not the most significant users of services or beneficiaries of underlying networks. Common-sense reforms like those directed by this legislation will shore up the foundation of universal service funding, spread contribution obligations more equitably among all of those that use and benefit from broadband networks, and ultimately help the low-income and rural consumers and schools, libraries, and rural health care facilities that depend on critical universal service programs,” Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association.

“The Universal Service Fund plays a crucial role in connecting millions in America, particularly in our rural areas. We appreciate Senators Mullin and Kelly for their leadership and urge Congress to make Universal Service Fund reform a top priority,” Brandon Heiner, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, USTelecom.

Background – The Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act would:

• Direct the FCC to reform the USF by expanding the base so that edge providers and broadband providers contribute on an equitable and nondiscriminatory basis to preserve and advance universal service.
• Limit assessments of edge providers to only those with more than 3% of the estimated quantity of broadband data transmitted in the United States and more than $5 billion in annual revenue. 
• Direct the FCC to adopt a new mechanism under the current USF high-cost program to provide specific, predictable, and sufficient support for expenses incurred by broadband providers that are not otherwise recovered.
• Limit the FCC’s authority over edge providers and broadband providers only to requiring contributions to the USF.

Full text of the Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act of 2025 can be found here.

###