On July 31, the Senate Commerce Committee advanced S. 2238, the PLAN for Broadband Act. The bill includes $7 billion in additional funding for the Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The following statement may be attributed to Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Director of Policy Engagement Drew Garner:

"Since June, hundreds of thousands of Americans have lost internet service because Congress failed to provide additional funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. From recent Benton Institute research, we know that millions more are likely to lose or downgrade service, resulting in billions of dollars in lost consumer financial benefits and service delivery efficiencies for health care providers.

"Today, the Senate took a huge step to rectify this. We applaud Sen. Welch (D-VT) and his colleagues on the Senate Commerce Committee for sending an ACP funding bill to the Senate floor. Now, we urge the full Congress to pass the bill and President Biden to sign it into law so we can get more people online and close the digital divide."

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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