universal service

The concept of making basic local telephone service (and, in some cases, certain other telecommunications and information services) available at an affordable price to all people within a country or specified jurisdictional area.

The financial mechanism which helps compensate telephone companies or other communications entities for providing access to telecommunications services at reasonable and affordable rates throughout the country, including rural, insular and high costs areas, and to public institutions. Companies, not consumers, are required by law to contribute to this fund. The law does not prohibit companies from passing this charge on to customers.