The Court Case That Shows Why Connectivity Is No Longer Optional

Issue: Whether the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had the legal authority to create the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), which administers the Universal Service Fund.
Holding: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found that Congress did not specifically authorize the FCC to establish USAC, concluding that doing so violated the Government Corporation Control Act.
Decision date: October 15, 2026 (it’s worth noting that the ruling came nearly 30 years after USAC was established in 1997)

