Broadband Breakfast
Only Conservatives Can Save the Affordable Connectivity Program
Our federal deficit is exploding, and America’s financial house is in disarray. The country’s borrowing costs are at their highest level in over 20 years, and the national debt has surpassed $34 trillion for the first in history. In this environment, implementing stringent fiscal policy should be the standard operating procedure for all conservatives.
23 Million Might Have to Re-Enroll in Affordable Connectivity Program
The digital inclusion program manager of a program to get people online warned during a press conference that if the Affordable Connectivity Program ends and later resumes, tens of millions of beneficiaries may have to manually re-enroll. Leslie Scott, digital inclusion program manager of KC Digital Drive, raised the concerns in a press conference hosted by advocates of renewing the ACP. Scott said that, during a Federal Communications Commission listening session, she and other observers were informed that if the ACP restarts after shutting down, 23 million program participants might have
LTD Broadband Challenges FCC Denial of RDOF Funds in Court
LTD Broadband has filed a petition for review of the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to deny it funding as part of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. LTD, which largely offers fixed wireless broadband, filed a request for judicial review with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on February 2, contesting the agency decision on December 4, 2023. The action follows a series of events stemming from the FCC's proposal for a $21.7-million fine against LTD for defaulting on its bids in the RDOF broadband subsidy program.
FCC Chair Unveils Latest ACP Metrics at Net Inclusion 2024
A recent survey revealed that 81 percent of households with schoolchildren receiving a monthly broadband subsidy are worried about the prospect of losing this assistance and its potential effects on their children's education, according to the Universal Service Administrative Company. These metrics “demonstrate with incredible clarity just how important it is to stay connected in modern life and how dangerous it is to threaten disconnection,” said Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
The ACP is Critical Aid for Low Income Older Adults
It is downright shocking that millions of low-income older adults, members of our one of our most vulnerable communities, will lose their broadband connection due to the uncertainty of funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. For older adults in financial need, the extension of funding for the ACP is critical. While the number of those over the age of 65 with broadband in the home has grown, it is still one of the biggest gaps of the digital divide. At the start of the ACP, only 64% of those 65 and older had a broadband connection in the home
Universal Service Administrative Company Updates Connect America Fund Map
The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) released an updated version of its Connect America Fund Broadband Map. The map shows locations where broadband infrastructure has been deployed with subsidies from the Connect America Fund.
Emily Drabinski: Will Congress Keep Its Broadband Promise?
Prince George’s County Memorial Library System received a $500,000 Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant from the Federal Communications Commission in March 2023 to find and connect those living in eligible households with the $30 monthly discount available to home broadband. Libraries in New Jersey, Nashville, and New York City likewise received the outreach grant. After months of hiring, developing their outreach program, and identifying eligible individuals, outreach grantees are hitting their stride.
Carl Guardino: The Time is Now for 100 Percent Broadband Access in the US
In June 2023, President Joe Biden announced how $42 billion in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment funding will be allocated across the US and its territories to bring 100% broadband access to nearly 60 million unserved or underserved Americans within five years. That goal, and the billions of dollars and new tools available, will give policymakers, communities, and industry stakeholders a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to bridge the digital divide. However, finances are finite and currently trending in a budget-busting “fiber-first” direction.
Chamber of Commerce Asks Fifth Circuit to Vacate Digital Discrimination Rules
The US Chamber of Commerce is asking a federal appeals court to vacate the Federal Communications Commission’s recent digital discrimination order. As mandated by the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act, the commission adopted rules in November 2023 to prevent gaps in broadband access based on race, income level, and other demographic characteristics – known as digital discrimination.