Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
What did NTIA's Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth Accomplish in 2022?
The Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG) is housed within the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Congress created OICG in the ACCESS BROADBAND Act of 2021, part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, to oversee all broadband activity at NTIA and lead federal efforts to fund and expand broadband access across the country.
Benton Fellow Gigi Sohn Receives Louis H. Pollak Award From Penn Carey Law Alumni Society
On May 18 in Philadelphia (PA), the Penn Carey Law Alumni Society bestowed its Louis H. Pollak Award on Gigi Sohn, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s Senior Fellow and Public Advocate. The Louis H. Pollak Award is presented each year to a member of the Penn Carey Law alumni community who pursues a career advancing justice through service to others. Sohn is being recognized for serving as an inspiration and role model to Penn Carey Law students and alumni aspiring to impactful careers in public service.
ACP Enrollment Performance Tool: Understanding Factors that Play a Role in ACP Enrollment
Recently we launched the Benton Institute’s Affordable Connectivity Program Enrollment Performance Tool, a free resource that helps communities answer the question: “How are ACP sign-ups going?” Using the tool to search 5-digit zip codes delivers two important numbers: 1) how many households have signed up for ACP and 2) the expected number of households enrolled. Comparing expected enrollment to actual enrollment is a measure of performance.
A Discussion About the State of Universal Service
All people in the United States shall have access to rapid, efficient, nationwide communications service with adequate facilities at reasonable charges.
House Commerce Committee Continues Oversight of Federal Broadband Programs
The House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation held a hearing on May 10 discussing federal funding for broadband deployment as part of ongoing efforts to
Keiki to Kupuna, All Hawaiʻi's Residents Need Broadband
The Aloha State was not prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic's stay-at-home/work-from-home orders. The immediate halt to most in-person interaction resulted in disruptions to business, education, healthcare, the provision of other essential services, and social functions—demonstrating Hawaiʻi’s vulnerabilities, which were exacerbated by inadequate digital infrastructure. As a result, providing equitable access to broadband, improving digital literacy, and effectively applying digital tools in essential sectors are now among the state’s most pressing challenges.
Benton Institute Welcomes Another Unanimous Verdict for FCC and Universal Broadband
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit joined the 5th Circuit in rejecting an attack on the constitutionality of the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Fund (USF). The USF is a critical means of reducing the cost of broadband and other telecommunications services for schools, hospitals and libraries, for low-income consumers, and for residents of rural America. The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, MediaJustice, and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance are intervenors supporting the FCC in this case.
The Benton Institute ACP Performance Tool
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is at an inflection point. Launched in early 2022, ACP provides 17 million households up to $30/month in subsidies to offset the cost of broadband. But the program faces two critical challenges. First, less than a third of eligible households currently participate in the program—mainly because the people who could benefit most from the subsidy are unaware that it exists. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), local governments, and digital equity groups are stepping up efforts to improve ACP awareness and participation.
Does FCC’s Broadband Speed Benchmark Represent Actual Use and Needs? Nobody Knows.
When the Federal Communications Commission last updated the benchmark speeds for broadband, Barack Obama was president, Bruno Mars was at the top of the charts dancing through Uptown Funk, Fifty Shades of Grey [NSFW] was steaming up movie theaters, and the New England Patriots had just beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.