On November 1, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released its "annual" inquiry into the state of broadband in the United States. The inquiry includes three broad questions: 1) What constitutes "broadband service" today 2) Is the U.S. achieving its universal broadband goals? 3) Is broadband being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion? The FCC is seeking public input on these questions through December 1.
We write in response to your recently circulated Draft Order on “Digital Discrimination” that would turn section 60506 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) into a sweeping mandate for heavy-handed Internet regulation and expose every nook and cranny of the broadband business to liability under a “disparate impact” standard. Your Draft Order, which largely follows a Biden administration diktat, will create crippling uncertainty for the U.S. broadband industry, chill broadband investment, and undermine Congress’s objective of promoting broadband access for all Americans.
We, the undersigned groups, write to emphasize the dire need for Congress to pass 6 billion dollars in supplemental funding to sustain the Affordable Connectivity Program (“ACP”) through the end of 2024. As of October 25, 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration requested Congress to appropriate emergency funding for critical domestic issues, including $6 billion earmarked for ACP to ensure eligible households across the country remain connected online.
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