Subcommittee Chair Latta to FCC: “Closing the Digital Divide is a Key Priority for this Committee”
June 21, 2023
- The FCC's Mission: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency charged by Congress to regulate interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. Among its responsibilities include administering the Universal Service Fund (USF), holding spectrum auctions, and regulating broadcast licensees. Closing the digital divide is a key priority for this Committee. [In May 2023], the FCC released an updated version of its National Broadband Map, which showed that 8.3 million homes and businesses still lack access to high-speed broadband. This map, produced in accordance with a bill I led, the Broadband DATA Act, is significantly better than previous maps. But concerns with the ‘pre-production’ draft that overstated coverage in some areas and missed communities in others highlight the need for oversight of this effort. With the amount of money at stake, we need confidence these maps are as accurate as possible so states get the right allocation to connect all their unserved and underserved residents.
- The Future of the USF: The FCC administers the USF, the [Affordable Connectivity Program] ACP, and the [Emergency Connectivity Fund] ECF programs. Congress’ significant investment in broadband raises questions about the future of the USF. Unfortunately, we also know these programs are ripe with waste, fraud, and abuse. The FCC Inspector General has issued two advisories related to enrollment fraud in ACP and its predecessor program, the Emergency Broadband Benefit, two programs created in response to the COVID pandemic. And earlier this year, the Government Accountability Office found the FCC did not have adequate antifraud controls for the program. I hope the Commission takes these findings seriously and implements the right oversight and controls to prevent additional fraud from taking place.
- Fully Funding Programs to Remove Unsecure Equipment: Finally, we need to fully fund the Supply Chain Reimbursement, or ‘Rip-and-Replace' Program, which Congress created to help small providers remove unsecure equipment from their networks. Providers are required to begin removing this equipment by July 15 [2023] and they need the certainty they can get reimbursed for this effort. This is a serious problem for rural America. Without these funds, small carriers could be forced to shut down their networks, leaving their customers without a connection.
C&T Subcommittee Chair Latta to FCC: “Closing the Digital Divide is a Key Priority for this Committee”