Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Mike Crapo (R-ID) have introduced the Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act of 2023, which would direct the FCC to initiate and complete a rulemaking, within 18 months of enactment, to require Universal Service Fund contributions from edge providers and broadband providers. In terms of edge providers, this would include providers of a social media platform, a streaming service, a videoconferencing service, and an e-commerce platform.
The legislation would exempt edge providers that transmitted less than 3 percent of the estimated broadband traffic in the U.S. in the most recent year and collected less than $5 million in revenues. It would also exempt broadband providers and edge providers if their revenues are such that their contribution would be de minimis.
