Agenda

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 

The end of the Affordable Connectivity Program is almost here, threatening to widen the digital divide

In early 2023, Brookings Metro and other experts were warning that, without action, the United States was likely take the biggest step any country has ever taken to widen rather than close its digital divide. The reason? The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides a $30 per month subsidy for broadband to about 23 million homes, would run out of funds sometime in late April or May 2024. Now, we’ve arrived at that precipice.

Federal Trade Commission’s Alvaro Bedoya says laws to keep teens off social media won’t work

As government officials increasingly scrutinize how digital platforms may harm kids, a growing number of states are proposing sweeping restrictions to limit their access to social media. But a top federal enforcer active on kids’ safety issues said that he opposes such limits, arguing they are unlikely to work and may run afoul of the Constitution. “Meet a teenager, they will find a way to get around that,” said Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya.

Sponsor: 

Communications And Technology Subcommittee

House Commerce Committee

Date: 
Thu, 02/15/2024 - 10:00

Witnesses

Mr. James Lewis, Senior Vice President, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

Mr. Craig Singleton, China Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow, Foundation of Defense of Democracies

Ms. Lindsay Gorman, Senior Fellow for Emerging Technologies, German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy



Rural Americans Were Less Likely to Enroll in a Federal Broadband Assistance Program. Now It’s Too Late to Sign up

Rural households were not as likely as their urban counterparts to enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a federal fund that is running out of money to help low income families connect to the internet. About a third (37 percent) of rural households that are eligible for the monthly discount on broadband subscriptions had enrolled in the program as of December 2023.

A Permanent Solution for Connecting Low-Income Families

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has been a transformative force, connecting more than 23 million households. It’s a true unicorn among public policies, attracting the support of 4 out of 5 Americans. Yet, despite the program’s massive success, the ACP is on life support.

Sponsor: 

OpenVault

Date: 
Thu, 02/15/2024 - 11:00

The OVBI Q4 2023 webinar will include a fireside chat with OpenVault CEO and Founder, Mark Trudeau, and Chief Product Officer, Brady Volpe. We'll uncover insights that will take your broadband service into the next era. Stay tuned as we dive into the incredible growth of broadband usage, breaking 600GB and redefining broadband once again. OpenVault will highlight tools that are predictive, prescriptive, and future-proof to help your network keep pace and excel in user satisfaction, quality of experience (QoE) and subscriber retention.



Commissioner Starks Joins Congressional Black Caucus Chair Horsford To Advocate for ACP

Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford (D-NV-04) visited the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority to hear from residents and state and local officials about the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)’s positive impact on closing the digital divide and the need for Congress to continue the program.

Commissioner Gomez's ACP Remarks at State of the Net

Considering this is the 20th anniversary of State of the Net, I think it’s worth noting one constant: we have had a digital divide that separates the connected haves from the connected have-nots in our country.  Another constant going back decades is a shared recognition that, unless and until we bridge that divide, we will not fulfill the promise of the Internet age for our economy and our society.  In 2024, that digital divide persists. But let me tell you what’s changed.  Like never before, closing America’s digital divide is within our reach.  And that’s not by accident.

Sponsor: 

Minnesota Office of Broadband Development

Minnesota Department Employment and Economic Development

Date: 
Tue, 03/12/2024 - 09:00 to 16:15

Broadband Annual Meeting

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Registration/Check-In

Coffee and a light breakfast will be provided

9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Opening Welcome and Introductions

9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Keynote Address

9:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Fireside Chat: The Office of Broadband Development Executive Director’s Reflections

10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

American Connection Corps Lightening Round



NTCA CEO Sees Congress in “Disarray”: Providers Should Remind Them What They Need to Get Done

Congress is “in disarray right now,” said Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association, in an address at NTCA’s annual RTIME conference in Tampa. Bloomfield urged NTCA’s members attending the conference to remind their elected officials that “It’s not about who’s winning and who’s losing; it’s about getting things done.” Bloomfield pointed to several open issues facing Congress that will impact rural providers and their communities.

The Quickening Pace of Landline Retirement

Sooner rather than later, landline telephone service will completely transition to wireless and Internet-based calling (commonly referred to as Voice Over the Internet Protocol or "VoIP").  While the Federal Communications Commission, for over a decade, has precluded a “flash cut” service termination, I expect the timeline for copper wire service retirements to shorten.

AT&T's plan to kill landline service in Bay Area stirs controversy, outrage

AT&T is attempting to pull its landline service from much of California and the Bay Area, raising concerns among those living in rural areas who rely on the service during emergencies. AT&T submitted an application early in 2023 to end its status as California’s Carrier of Last Resort, or COLR, i

Sponsor: 

Next Century Cities

Date: 
Wed, 04/17/2024 - 08:00 to 16:00

Next Century Cities’ Bipartisan Tech Policy Conference returns this year as local, state, federal, and Tribal officials, policy advocates, and residents in every community dream about the connected future we can create. This year’s conference will be held in person in Washington, D.C. for the first time since 2020.



Sponsor: 

Fiber Broadband Association

Date: 
Wed, 02/14/2024 - 10:00 to 10:30

As of February 8th, 2024, the Affordable Connectivity Program (“ACP”), the largest and most successful broadband affordability program in our nation, stopped accepting new enrollments. Without additional funding from Congress, it is anticipated that April will be the last month currently enrolled households will receive the full ACP benefit. Join us this week as FBA CEO and President, Gary Bolton, discusses the impact of the ACP wind-down on broadband affordability in Mississippi with Chip Pickering (INCOMPAS), Quinn Jordan (MSBA), and Adeyinka Ogunlegan (Education Superhighway).



Sponsor: 

Technology Policy Institute

Date: 
Mon, 02/12/2024 - 10:30 to 12:15

Satellite spectrum usage is governed largely by legacy frameworks that may not be appropriate given increased deployments and use of satellite connections. What new developments from WRC-23 affect satellite policy going forward? The FCC’s Space Bureau, other federal agencies and international bodies, have levers to speed up or slow down innovation in space. What is the state of policy in satellite spectrum, can there be more flexibility or is command and control inevitable?



Sponsor: 

Schools Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition

Date: 
Wed, 02/21/2024 - 16:00 to 17:30

The federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program will provide $42 billion to states to improve high-speed internet access for unserved and underserved locations, including libraries. 

But there is a catch. Your library must be on the map as lacking gigabit service to get BEAD funding. Many maps are wrong and miss libraries that need better broadband. Luckily, most states will let libraries file a “challenge” to fix the map.



Sponsor: 

Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

Date: 
Wed, 02/14/2024 - 12:00 to 13:00

Featuring information security executive and social scientist Tarah Wheeler.



Biden advisor, Federal Communications Commissioner push to extend broadband discount program

Federal Communications Commissioner Anna Gomez and Stephen Baldwin, Senior Advisor to the President, spoke about the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program at an event hosted by the Information Technology Institute in Washington DC. “We want to make sure that every user is connected to the internet, it is so important for participation in society, in our economy,” Commissioner Gomez said.

Advocate remains hopeful ACP funding will be renewed as new enrollment freezes

Enrollment for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has frozen, as of 11:59 pm on February 7, according to the website for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), but advocates like Gigi Sohn believe that momentum is on their side to keep the program alive. Sohn, the American Association for Public Broadband’s executive director, has been a leading voice to keep the program, which provides subsidies for nearly 23 million Americans to help pay for broadband services.

The FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program Could End. Here’s Why That Might Not Be Bad for Schools

The Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which helps low-income families pay for home internet services, will end without Congressional action. The program, known as the ACP, stopped enrolling new applicants on February 7, and funding for all participants will run out by May.

The Vital Mission of Ensuring Affordable Connectivity Everywhere

With over 23 million households relying on the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to financially support their connection to…well, everything…it is jarring to think the program may soon no longer exist. Losing this broadband subsidy program will force families to make hard choices and will likely lead to many losing connectivity altogether.  With the value of a network based upon its ability to connect everyone, this is not a good result for our country. Worse yet, a lack of ACP fu

NTIA: 2024 will be ‘year of execution’ for BEAD

2023 set the stage for the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced how much funding each state would get and states began drafting their initial proposals. According to Sarah Morris, NTIA’s principal deputy assistant secretary and deputy administrator, 2024 will be “the year of execution” for BEAD.