The FCC has received approval to subsidize internet services in rural areas

At long last, the FCC can move forward with reforming its rural connection subsidies for the broadband era. A federal appeals court has upheld the agency’s Connect America Fund after challenges from smaller carriers, which were worried that the shift from subsidizing phone calls to fast internet access would hurt their bottom line. Their arguments were either “unpersuasive” or were blocked from legal consideration in the first place, the court says. However, the fund still faces criticism from those worried that the $4.5 billion in subsidies will hike phone bills through growing fees.