Universal Service Fund

Overview

​The Universal Service Fund (USF) provides funding that helps Wisconsin residents get essential and advanced telecommunications services. The USF funds a number of programs and grants to meet these goals. 

The USF funds these programs:​​ 

• Lifeline: Lifeline reduces the price of essential telecommunications service for low income customers. Visit F​or Consumers: Lifeline and Telecom Topics: Lifeline for Providers for more information. 

• The Broadband Grants Programs: helps get broadband service to all parts of Wisconsin and are partly funded by the USF. 

• The Telecommunications Equipment Purchase Program (TEPP):​​ helps​ people with disabilities to buy the special equipment they need to use basic telephone services. 

• The USF also has a contingency program​ which would kick in if rat​es for v​oice service would exceed certain thresholds. Current rates do not exceed the threshold.​
  

USF Funded Grant Programs

USF also funds several grant programs​.

• T​elemedicine Equipment Grant Program: this program supports the purchase of new and innovative medical telecommunications equipment to provide telehealth services for medical, mental, and dental health. 

• Lifeline Grant Program: this program promotes the Lifeline program. 
  

• Nonprofit Access Grant Program: this program funds nonprofits that are working to make telecommunications and broadband more accessible and useful to Wisconsin residents. ​
  

Universal Service Fund Council

The PSC is responsible for the policies and procedures of the USF and the programs it supports. It is assisted by a Universal Service Fund Council (USFC) consisting of representatives of the telecommunications service providers and consumers in the state. 

The USF and the USF Council​ were established by 1993 Wisconsin Act 496. The USF and the Council are governed by state statutes and administrative code rules​. 

Universal Service Fund Reports to the Legislature​​

The PSC, working with the USF Council, provides biennial reports to the legislature. Go to the Reference Center for Unive​rsal Service Fund biennial reports​.

USF Financial Statements 

The USF is accounted for as a special revenue fund, which is a governmental fund. The financial statements provide a detailed short-term view of the USF’s finances that assists in determining whether there will be adequate resources available to meet the current needs of the USF.​

​​USF Financial Statements for 6/30/2019 and 6/30/2020​

For More Informati​on

Questions about the USF and USF Council should be emailed toPSCUniversalServiceFund@wisconsin.gov and cc'd to Peter​ Jahn at Peter.Jahn@​wisconsin.gov​.​​