After his failed attempt to get his telco-friendly national video franchise bill passed, Senator Ted Stevens is back with a new bill, this time focusing on revamping the Universal Service Fund (USF). Well dissected around these parts, the fund -- designed to bring phone and limited school data connectivity to the nation's have nots -- is the poster-child for government inefficiency, fraud and waste. While the plan's intention was good, the e-Rate portion of the program has been broken for years, with studies showing serious fraud and neglect -- largely because the FCC fails to follow up on how the money is actually spent.

Steven's new bill, the Universal Service for Americans Act, would expand the plan -- collecting fees from VoIP and other broadband providers to help subsidize broadband deployment to rural areas. The plan was buried in Steven's other bill last year, and is primarily a request by telcos to force cable and VoIP providers to help carry the contribution load, since the majority of revenue comes from long-distance customers. The bill will likely face serious opposition from both parties, as many Conservatives would like to see the plan abolished altogether, and many Democrats would like to see the plan reformed before it's expanded.