Court Says FCC Lacked Authority to Create Universal Service Fund Administrator

Court Says FCC Lacked Authority to Create Universal Service Fund Administrator

The seal for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the Commission's briefing room during a meeting at FCC headquarters in Washington on Feb. 18, 2026. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Congress Should Fix USF, Not Just Save It, Says ITIF

Following the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit that the Universal Service Fund's administrative structure violates federal law, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) released the following statement from Joe Kane, ITIF’s director of broadband and spectrum policy.

Court Finds FCC’s Broadband Funding Vehicle Violates a 1945 Federal Law

The agency violated the Government Corporation Control Act when it created the Universal Service Fund’s administrator, judges ruled