Where Does the Affordable Connectivity Program Go from Here to Help Millions More Households Get Online?

Although there is already a ton of fantastic work being done on the ground, many of the groups doing that work would benefit from more funding that could be used to conduct direct Affordable Connectivity Program outreach, train digital navigators, and more. The Federal Communications Commission is currently engaged in a rulemaking to develop rules for how the grant program would work. We look forward to the completion of this rulemaking so that groups on the ground can get the critical support they need to help households enroll. This outreach grant program should prioritize funding for trusted messengers (e.g., community-based organizations, local and state governments, faith-based organizations, public schools and libraries) familiar with the affected communities, because education and outreach programs must be culturally relevant to each particular community to maximize their success. It is crucial that this program be set up soon, and grant money gets disbursed to the groups that are on the ground working for the public interest. One issue that needs continued attention is the language gap that non-English speaking communities face when learning about and trying to sign up for the program. Some communities have found the resources provided by the FCC to be “overly technical and [not] useful to the average users,” while others have found the application process to be difficult for people to do on their own. The ACP rules built on the EBB rules by adding significant consumer protections, including prohibitions on upselling by providers and termination of service for nonpayment. Now that these protections are in place, they need to be enforced.

[Jonathan Walter is a Common Cause Media & Democracy Program Fellow]