Media Contact: 
Mark Wigfield, (202) 418-0253
mark.wigfield@fcc.gov
For Immediate Release
STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN AJIT PAI
ON PROJECTED USF BUDGET CUTS
FOR SMALL, RURAL CARRIERS 
  -- 
WASHINGTON, May 1, 2018—Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai 
issued the following statement today after the Universal Service Administrative Company’s 
announcement that the budget control mechanism adopted in 2016 will cut universal service 
support for small, rural carriers by 15.52% over the course of the next year:
“The prior Administration’s budget control mechanism has created constant uncertainty for 
small, rural carriers, endangering their ability to make long-term investment decisions to bring 
high-speed broadband to the millions of Americans who still lack it.  That’s why earlier this 
year we allocated $180 million to such carriers as a stop-gap measure to avert budget cuts for 
the current funding year.
“But now small carriers are facing even more severe cuts in the coming year, which will only 
exacerbate the digital divide in rural America.  That highlights the importance of the Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking we advanced earlier this year.  In the Notice we take a hard look at the 
budget control mechanism and potential reforms to our rules to give small carriers greater 
investment certainty and to create incentives for more efficient operations.  We’re still 
accepting public input on the Notice, but once that period has ended, I hope my colleagues will 
support my efforts to take action in the coming months.”
 
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This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order 
constitutes official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).