Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act of 2025

This bill tells the FCC to make both internet providers and big online services pay into the Universal Service Fund, which helps keep phone and internet service available and affordable nationwide. The FCC must set these rules within 18 months. Smaller online services are exempt if they carry under 3% of U.S. internet data and make under $5 billion in U.S. revenue, and very small providers can be exempt if their payment would be minimal. The goal is to spread costs fairly and lower the burden on consumers, while not giving the FCC new powers beyond collecting these payments for this purpose .

The bill also requires the FCC to create, within 18 months, a new support program to help one eligible provider per area cover the extra costs of building and running broadband in high-cost, hard‑to‑serve places, when those costs aren’t covered by reasonable customer rates or other support. The FCC will enforce these rules under existing communications law .

Key points:

• Who is affected: Broadband internet providers, large online “edge” services, and people in high-cost areas who need affordable internet .
• What changes: More companies must pay into the Universal Service Fund; clear exemptions for smaller players; a new high‑cost support mechanism with only one eligible carrier per area; enforcement through existing FCC powers; no new general authority over providers beyond these payments .
• When: The FCC must finish the main rulemakings within 18 months of the law taking effect .