Carr urges permitting reform, freed spectrum and technology neutrality to close digital divide; says FCC will await Supreme Court on USF overhaul
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Summary
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr told the House subcommittee that closing the digital divide requires permitting reform, more spectrum and technology‑neutral deployments such as fixed wireless and satellites, while changes to the Universal Service Fund await a pending Supreme Court decision.
WASHINGTON — Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr told the House Appropriations subcommittee that bridging the digital divide requires a mix of permitting reform, more spectrum, and technology‑neutral approaches such as fixed wireless and satellites, and that the FCC will await the outcome of a pending Supreme Court case before making major changes to the Universal Service Fund (USF).
Permitting and technology: Carr told members that permitting delays — particularly on federal lands — slow broadband deployment and that freeing mid‑band spectrum and allowing a technology‑neutral mix of fiber, fixed wireless and satellite can speed connections and lower prices. "When you get fixed wireless introduced into a community... we see something in excess of a 30% reduction in price," Carr said.
Universal Service Fund sustainability: Representative Bishop raised concerns about the USF’s contribution mechanism and the high contribution factor borne disproportionately by some ratepayers. Carr described the USF as roughly a $9 billion annual program funded through a line item on traditional telephone bills and said the contribution factor had spiked and was on an unsustainable trajectory. He said the FCC is largely waiting for a Supreme Court decision affecting the program and that any material reforms would be best addressed with congressional guidance and possible additional authority.
Why it matters: Members from both parties emphasized the importance of affordable broadband for rural and urban constituencies and asked how the FCC can ensure grants and subsidies reach local and smaller providers rather than entrench incumbents.
Ending: Carr told the committee the FCC will pursue permitting reforms, free more spectrum and favor a technology‑neutral approach while coordinating with Congress on any structural changes to USF once the Supreme Court resolves the pending case.