Thursday, June 3, 2021
Headlines Daily Digest
White House seeks to keep focus on infrastructure with VP Harris event on broadband (Washington Post Live Updates)
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Some ISPs Exploited Covid Broadband Relief Program to Make an Extra Buck
NDIA Submits Comments to Treasury Recommending ARPA funds Support Gap Networks
Affordability
Internet/Broadband
Lifeline
Spectrum
Platforms
Affordability
In May, the government began offering Americans struggling during the pandemic a $50 discount off of their broadband bill. But some US broadband providers are already exploiting the program to drive consumers to even more expensive broadband plans. Verizon, for example, was forcing customers to sign up for more expensive plans if they wanted the benefit. Charter, which sells broadband under the Spectrum brand, has been forcing eligible customers to opt in to full-price plans at sign up. If they refuse, they’re deemed ineligible for the emergency broadband discount. “If participating Emergency Broadband Benefit providers are making it harder for consumers to receive the support they need to get online, they need to knock it off,” said Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “I urge consumers who have faced this issue to come to us and share their experience at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov. It's one of the swiftest ways we can get to the bottom of what is going on and address it.”
During the pandemic, over 40 communities across the country built wireless networks to address the unaffordability of internet service. These wireless networks proved to be a useful tool for communities in their attempt to address internet affordability. As such, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance submitted comments to the US Department of the Treasury in response to the recently released Interim Final Rule for local and state governments suggesting gap networks be considered an eligible expense under the “Assistance to Households” section outlined in Sec. 602 and Sec. 603 of the American Rescue Plan’s Act of 2021. In our comments, NDIA demonstrated why gap networks–networks designed to offer very affordable or no-cost internet access for lower-income households with low broadband adoption rates–should be considered as an affordability tool instead of a tool to address broadband availability.
Although data usage moderated in Q1 2021 after pandemic-fueled rapid growth in 2020, subscribers continued to adapt to the new broadband environment by embracing faster speeds. Almost one-tenth (9.8%) of all subscribers were provisioned for gigabit speeds at the end of Q1, a year-over-year increase of 261% from the 1Q20 figure of 3.8% and a 15% increase from the 8.5% adoption rate in 4Q20. Over the past two quarters the percentage of subscribers provisioned for gigabit-speed service has risen 75%, from 5.6% in 3Q20. Slghtly more than 80% of subscribers are provisioned for 100 Mbps speeds or higher, and that fewer than 5% are at 20 Mbps or slower. Subscribers on usage-based billing (UBB) plans are adopting higher-speed packages faster than those on flat-rate billing plans.
Lifeline
FCC Announces Census Blocks in Which Eligible Lifeline Consumers Can Continue To Receive Discounted Voice-Only Lifeline Services
The Federal Communications Commission announces those Census blocks where Lifeline support for voice-only service will continue at $5.25 per month from Dec 1, 2021 through Nov 30, 2022. These Census blocks can be found on the Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC) website.
In the 2016 Lifeline Order, the FCC outlined a shift in the Lifeline program towards a greater focus on supporting broadband services for Lifeline eligible consumers. As part of that effort, the FCC adopted a transition period to phase down support for voice-only Lifeline services before reimbursement for such services would decrease to $0 on Dec 1, 2021. The FCC also adopted an exception to this complete phase-down in voice-only support and continued Lifeline support, in the amount of $5.25 per subscriber per month, for qualifying voice-only services provided to Lifeline eligible subscribers in Census blocks where there is only one Lifeline provider. The FCC directed the Bureau to identify Census blocks where there is only one Lifeline provider and to announce those Census blocks by June 1 of each year. The FCC's action June 1 is intended to comply with the requirements of the 2016 Lifeline Order. This Public Notice is not intended to prejudice the pending Petition for Reconsideration from the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA), which requested that the FCC reconsider the phase down in Lifeline support for voice-only services, nor to impact the FCC’s work towards the completion of the State of the Lifeline Marketplace Report, which the FCC directed to release by June 30, 2021
In March 2021, the Federal Communications Commission announced a planned auction of new flexible-use licenses in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band (Auction 110). Auction 110 will offer 4,060 new licenses throughout the contiguous US, subject to cooperative sharing requirements in certain, defined areas where and when federal incumbents require continued access to the band. The FCC, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and the Department of Defense (DoD) are working collaboratively towards these goals. By this Public Notice, the FCC and NTIA, provide (i) information for potential bidders in the 3.45 GHz Service auction and (ii) guidance to the ultimate 3.45 GHz Service licensees and the affected federal incumbents regarding coordination procedures for shared use of the 3.45 GHz band. The joint nature of this Public Notice reflects the intersecting jurisdictions of the FCC (which administers spectrum for non-federal uses) and NTIA (which administers spectrum for federal uses) in the radio spectrum, including in this band.
Benton (www.benton.org) provides the only free, reliable, and non-partisan daily digest that curates and distributes news related to universal broadband, while connecting communications, democracy, and public interest issues. Posted Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are factually accurate, their sometimes informal tone may not always represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang (headlines AT benton DOT org) and Robbie McBeath (rmcbeath AT benton DOT org) — we welcome your comments.
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