ISPs tell the FCC not to mandate subsidies on grandfathered broadband plans

Internet service providers (ISPs) are telling the Federal Communications Commission not to require ISPs to allow broadband subsidy recipients to apply those subsidies to grandfathered plans, arguing that it would be burdensome and confusing, though they also said they should be free to apply the subsidies to select grandfathered plans. The ISPs argue that requiring that the subsidy be applied to older plans being phased out could prove problematic in terms of billing and conflicts with the statute's language about plans that are "generally available." The FCC sought input on how to transition Congress' COVID-19-realated Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) subsidy program to the new, $14 billion, Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) subsidy in the infrastructure bill, including on how to interpret the Congressional mandate that the subsidy be applied to “any internet service offering” and whether that extended to “legacy or grandfathered" plans. Those grandfathered plans are ones no longer offered to new customers but maintained for legacy customers until the plans are phased out. Those could include plans inherited by a company when it bought another ISP.