Programs › 32.002
Assistance listing · 32.002
Universal Service Fund - High Cost
Federal financial assistance obligated under listing 32.002, the organisations that receive it and where it goes.
USAspending caveat. Figures are obligations reported by federal agencies to USAspending.gov, not payments. In USAspending's words: "An outlay occurs when federal money is actually paid out, not just promised to be paid ('obligated')." "Every agency has a Senior Accountable Official who must officially certify that the quarterly financial data submitted by their agency is accurate and complete." "If there are any discrepancies in procurement data, FPDS is the authoritative source." Contract data for the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is published with a 90-day delay. Data loaded 30 Sep 2026.
Federal agencies obligated $1.2B in awards under assistance listing 32.002, Universal Service Fund - High Cost, in FY2025, and $21B over the five fiscal years since FY2022; the program ranks 29 of 1056 on this site.
Obligations were down 82% on FY2024 ($6.5B), with $3.3B so far in FY2026.
The largest recipient organisations over FY2022–FY2025 were Windstream Communications, LLC ($630M), Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative Inc ($477M) and Conexon Connect LLC ($458M).
By place of performance, the most money went to TX, WI and MI.
Obligations by fiscal year
Compared with the largest program FY2025
| Measure | This program | Grants to States for Medicaid | All assistance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obligations, FY2025 | $1.2B | $666B | $4.5T |
| Five-year total | $21B | $3.2T | $21T |
| Share of all assistance obligations, five years | 0.1% | 15.2% | 100% |
Largest recipients obligations, FY2022–FY2025
Where the money goes
Other programs numbered 32.xxx
- 32.008 Affordable Connectivity Program $16B
- 32.004 UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND - SCHOOLS and LIBRARIES $13B
- 32.009 Emergency Connectivity Fund Program $5.2B
- 32.010 Supply Chain Reimbursement Program $4.5B
- 32.003 Universal Service Fund - Lifeline $3.8B
- 32.005 Universal Service Fund - Rural Health Care $2.4B
Questions and answers
How much is obligated under assistance listing 32.002?
$1.2B in FY2025 and $21B over the five fiscal years since FY2022, counting every award type recorded under the listing (grants, direct payments, loan subsidy cost, insurance and other assistance). Obligations are commitments, not payments.
Who receives the most under Universal Service Fund - High Cost?
Windstream Communications, LLC ($630M), Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative Inc ($477M), Conexon Connect LLC ($458M), Amg Technology Investment Group, LLC ($408M), Great Plains Communications LLC ($389M). Individuals are never listed; where a program pays individuals, USAspending records aggregated rows that appear here as "not shown".
What is an assistance listing (CFDA) number?
A five-digit number that identifies a federal financial assistance program on SAM.gov (formerly the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance). Every grant, loan, direct payment or other assistance award on USAspending carries one; contracts do not.
Provenance
Source: USAspending.gov API v2, spending by category (assistance listing) by fiscal year, recipient cross-tabulation for FY2022–FY2025 and award search, loaded 30 Sep 2026. State figures come from each state's top-100 listing table, so small amounts in a state may be missing. See methodology.