Do Companies Care About the Affordable Connectivity Program?

Your written testimony noted various affiliations. Which companies that receive ACP have you or your employers received funding from since the program’s inception?

Let me also note that the question—perhaps unintentionally—carries the subtle suggestion that the only enterprises that care about the ACP are the ones who have received funding from the program since the program’s inception.  While it is true that telecommunications providers support continuing the program, so do many organizations outside of telecommunications.  For example—and in support of what I wrote in the several questions related to healthcare, the American Hospital Association wrote a letter to the several Senators in support of extending the ACP program. While they are not directly compensated through the ACP program, it wrote that ACP “can support patients’ access to certain services like telehealth visits, hospital at home, patient portals and electronic patient records, virtual scheduling, and remote patient monitoring — which are not possible without reliable internet.”  It further noted that the ACP is “also critical in continuing efforts to reduce disparities and advance health equity by giving patients in rural and underserved areas the necessary resources to utilize various forms of telehealth, as well as other digital health services.”  Similarly, the United States Chamber of Commerce (along with many local Chambers of Commerce) endorsed the ACP extension, writing that the “program’s focus on internet affordability serves as a critical tool to help connect all Americans, empower full participation in the 21^st Century economy and broaden access to critical services such as education, healthcare and banking." In short, no one should be under the impression that the only companies who benefit from the ACP are telecommunications providers.