The FCC wants to know how to split phone costs between states and the federal government

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is asking for public comments on how to update rules for sharing the costs of phone services. These rules determine how much state and federal governments pay for maintaining phone networks.

For decades, these rules have dictated how phone companies recover their costs, especially for services that cross state lines. The current system, largely frozen since 2001, no longer reflects how people use phones or how networks are built. This request for comments means the FCC is finally ready to rethink how these costs are divided, which could shift financial burdens between states and the federal government, and ultimately affect what consumers pay.