Loading…
S. 1651119th CongressIn committeeLatest action May 7, 2025Decoded by AI · checked against the record
Official title: Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act of 2025
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govThe plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
S 1651 would expand the Universal Service Fund to require large tech companies and ISPs to contribute, potentially lowering consumer phone fees.
70-second read · 5 questions answered below
S 1651 would require the FCC to write new rules within 18 months expanding who must contribute to the Universal Service Fund, which supports affordable phone and internet service for rural areas, low-income households, schools, libraries, and hospitals. Large edge providers such as streaming, social media, search, cloud, gaming, app store, and e-commerce companies would be added as required contributors alongside traditional phone companies. Smaller companies and very small contributors from any category would be exempt.
Large tech companies and big internet service providers that carry at least 3 percent of all U.S. broadband data traffic and earned at least five billion dollars in U.S. revenue in the past year would face new contribution requirements. Traditional phone companies currently paying into the fund, everyday consumers, and rural and underserved communities would also be affected.
Spreading the contribution base across more large companies could reduce the fees currently passed on to consumers through their phone bills. The bill also directs the FCC to create a new support program for internet providers serving high-cost areas like rural communities, which could affect the stability and reach of broadband service in those regions.
The fund would be supported by a broader group of contributors, including large tech companies meeting the 3 percent broadband traffic and five-billion-dollar revenue thresholds. Consumer fees on phone and internet bills could decrease if costs are distributed across more large contributors.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: a Senate committee is reviewing it. If the House changes it, it goes back to the Senate before reaching the President.
Latest action: — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.