FCC Announces Measures to Strengthen Integrity for Affordable Connectity Program Service

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau took additional measures to ensure that providers are receiving reimbursement from the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) for fully subsidized service only for households using their service, as required by the FCC’s rules. Concerning the FCC's ACP usage rule, the Bureau (1) has referred the matter to the FCC's Enforcement Bureau for further investigation; (2) has directed the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to revise its methodology for proactively monitoring provider claims and de-enrollment data; and (3) has directed USAC to expand its program reviews to help ensure compliance with the non-usage rules. The non-usage rules are designed to ensure that ACP funding is targeted to households that are actually using their ACP service. Where a provider does not assess or collect a monthly fee from the enrolled household for the supported service, the household must use that service at least once every 30 days. If the household does not use its service during a 30-day period, the provider is required to notify the household that they will be de-enrolled if the household does not use the service within the next 15 days. On September 28, 2023, the FCC’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued an advisory about potential provider non-compliance with the ACP usage and de-enrollment rules among certain providers