What the FCC Wants to Know About ACP Service

On November 23, 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released new rules, as required by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, establishing the Affordable Connectivity Program Transparency Data Collection, which will collect information related to the price, subscription rates, and plan characteristics of the internet service offerings of Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) participating providers. The FCC believes that the data collection will offer the commission an opportunity to collect detailed data about the services to which ACP households chose to apply the affordable connectivity benefit. The ACP data collection will leverage information required for the broadband consumer labels, helping to create efficiencies and minimize burdens on providers. The data collection is seen as one way for the FCC to measure the performance of the Affordable Connectivity Program. The goals of ACP are to (1) reduce the digital divide for low-income consumers; (2) promote awareness and participation in the program; and (3) ensure efficient and effective administration of the program. Here we take a look at the FCC's new rules.