The Universal Service Fund (US Fund) is a system of subsidies and fees managed by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA).The Fund is the Authority’s main regulatory tool for promoting universal access to ICT services in rural and underserved areas in the country. The Fund was established in response to the National ICT Policy of 2013 which put a deliberate policy statement aimed at making ICTs available and accessible to all the people throughout the country particularly those in rural and underserved areas.

The Fund was established through the Communications Act of 2016 which provides a legal framework for the US Fund establishment. The Act mandates the Authority to collect levies from all its licensees in the communications sector, allocate and disburse some part of the levy to address ICT access gap in the country. Read more.