The Universal Service Fund for Schools and Libraries

The Universal Service Fund for Schools and Libraries

As part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Snowe-Rockefeller-Exon-Kerry Amendment established a federal universal service fund specifically to provide advanced telecommunications services to schools and libraries at a discounted cost. The FCC then convened a federal/state Joint Board to make recommendations to the FCC as to how the universal service program should be structured. A private, non-profit corporation, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), was formed to administer the program. The Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of USAC is responsible for processing applications and ensuring they conform with all program rules and eligibility requirements set up by the FCC.

Non-telecommunications carriers (including cable companies) are eligible to provide supported non-telecommunications services (specifically, Internet access and internal connections). Telecommunications carriers are entitled to provide both supported telecommunications and non-telecommunications services. However, when cable companies are certified telecommunications providers and have been licensed by a state public utility commission, they are also qualified to provide telecommunications services. A complete list of eligible services that both non-telecommunications and telecommunications service providers can offer under the program can be found, along with other information on the program, at The Schools and Libraries Division Web site at www.sl.universalservice.org.



			The Universal Service Fund for Schools and Libraries
		As part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Snowe-Rockefeller-Exon-Kerry Amendment established a federal universal service fund specifically to provide advanced telecommunications services to schools and libraries at a discounted cost. The FCC then convened a federal/state Joint Board to make recommendations to the FCC as to how the universal service program should be structured. A private, non-profit corporation, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), was formed to administer the program. The Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of USAC is responsible for processing applications and ensuring they conform with all program rules and eligibility requirements set up by the FCC. Non-telecommunications carriers (including cable companies) are eligible to provide supported non-telecommunications services (specifically, Internet access and internal connections). Telecommunications carriers are entitled to provide both supported telecommunications and non-telecommunications services. However, when cable companies are certified telecommunications providers and have been licensed by a state public utility commission, they are also qualified to provide telecommunications services. A complete list of eligible services that both non-telecommunications and telecommunications service providers can offer under the program can be found, along with other information on the program, at The Schools and Libraries Division Web site at www.sl.universalservice.org.