Universal service

The concept of universal service is based on the premise that communications services are so fundamental to modern life that national policies should ensure that all citizens have reasonable and affordable access to those services. In the United States, the policy, codified in the Communications Act of 1934, entailed permitting telephone service providers to charge slightly higher access charges for telephone service in certain well-trafficked areas &mdash; such as prosperous urban and suburban areas &mdash; to defray the cost of providing services in hard to reach rural areas, underserved urban areas, and to low-income consumers.