AT&T CEO John Stankey stated on Monday that Congress should empower the Federal Communications Commission to mandate contributions from Big Tech companies to a government fund that subsidizes telecom and broadband services.
Currently, fees are imposed on cell phone and landline service subscribers to support the Universal Service Fund, which spends about $8 billion annually, nearly all of which is collected from surcharges on telephone bills.
“The seven largest and most profitable companies in the world built their franchises on the internet and the infrastructure we provide,” Stankey said at a telecom industry forum in Utah. “Why shouldn’t they help ensure affordable and equitable access to today’s essential services, much like the phone lines of the past?”
This issue has become more pressing since a government broadband internet subsidy program, used by 23 million households, ran out of funds in May and shut down after the White House’s unsuccessful attempt to secure an additional $6 billion from Congress.
Since 2020, Congress had allocated $17 billion to help lower-income families and those impacted by COVID-19 access free or low-cost internet.
