The first sections of this paper will review how those issues have been addressed as the technology has changed and, with it, how the universal service has been defined, delivered and paid for in differing regulatory contexts. The Government's policy for the provision of a National Broadband Network (NBN), however, significantly alters the technological and regulatory context in which universality of access can be understood and provided. This paper suggests how the Universal Service Obligation (USO) should be redefined, how its accessibility and affordability can be ensured in the NBN environment, who delivers it and who pays for it.