Affordable Connectivity Program (was Emergency Broadband Benefit Program)

Cable execs have been adamant that their broadband businesses will return to subscriber growth eventually. But they haven't pinpointed exactly when they expect to turn that corner as they grapple with the demise of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and a one-two punch of fiber and fixed wireless access (FWA) competition.

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is one of several US federal and state government programs that seek to bridge the so-called “digital divide” through targeted consumer subsidies and support for infrastructure rollout. Though these subsidy programs aim to improve vital broadband and telecommunications access to low-income households, their uptake has varied across US states and counties. This fits the pattern of low participation rates in other means-tested broadband subsidy programs such as Lifeline and Linkup.

Light Reading's Nicole Ferraro and Jake Varn, associate manager with Pew's Broadband Access Initiative, discuss how the lapse of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) in May is now impacting states' plans t

The Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a means-tested federal program launched in January 2022 to support broadband connectivity among low-income households in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The expiration of the ACP benefit, the largest ever consumer support program for telecommunication services in U.S. history, invites a discussion about the impact of the program and what alternative policy mechanisms exist to promote equitable access to broadband.

On October 1, Federal Communications Commissioner (FCC) Anna Gomez spoke at Americas Spectrum Management Conference in Washington, DC. She spoke about several issues, including spectrum sharing and the National Spectrum Strategy, and urged conference goers to keep the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) top of mind in their discussions. She also spoke about the history of the FCC's spectrum auction authority, which has been lapsed for over a year.

Although a great deal of attention is on the 2024 elections at the national level, state elections could play a major role in how high-speed networks are rolled out, particularly in regards to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The need for reliable communications is very apparent in the state this week. Since Friday, September 27, Western North Carolina has been experiencing catastrophic flooding as a result of Hurricane Helene.

In June 2024, ConnectRI, a program of the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation (RICC) released the final and approved version of the state's Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program Initial Proposal Volume II.

More than nine out of 10 American households now have an internet subscription, according to new Census data released on Sep 12. That's a significant leap forward from the 76.7% the Census Bureau reported in 2015. When you dig into the census numbers, it becomes clear that the majority of new internet subscribers came from the lowest income groups.

Cox’s lawsuit is both misleading and unsupported by facts. The $108.7 million in federal funds allocated to Rhode Island through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is a transformative opportunity designed to close the digital divide in our state by ensuring every resident has access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet. The State of Rhode Island was awarded these funds only after the National Telecommunications and Information Administration approved the state’s Initial Proposal.

A tug-of-war over the McKee administration's proposed use of $108 million in federal "internet for all" dollars has evolved into a lawsuit by Cox Communications against Rhode Island. Cox is seeking to stop the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation from using a "flawed mapping and challenge process to build redundant broadband internet infrastructure in some of Rhode Island’s wealthiest communities ...