What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
At this meeting, CAC members are expected to (i) discuss current and emerging challenges and opportunities in the area of artificial intelligence (AI); (ii) receive updates from the working groups; and (iii) address any other topics relevant to the CAC’s work.
The meeting agenda will be available at https://www.fcc.gov/consumer-advisory-committee and may be modified at the discretion of the CAC Co-Chairs and Designated Federal Officer (DFO).
The FCC’s Office of Native Affairs and Policy (ONAP) will hold a virtual Tribal Consultation and Listening Session regarding the Federal Communications Commission’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would add a new “Missing and Endangered Person” (MEP) event code to the nation's Emergency Alert System. Further information about the FCC’s MEP event code proceeding can be found online at FCC.gov/MEP.
The FCC’s Office of Native Affairs and Policy (ONAP) will hold a Tribal consultation session regarding the Federal Communications Commission’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would add a new “Missing and Endangered Person” (MEP) event code to the nation's Emergency Alert System.
Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Anna Gomez will host a listening session to hear from formerly incarcerated people and their loved ones about their experiences using incarcerated people’s communications services (IPCS). Participants will provide first-hand accounts of the critical importance of affordable communications services to incarcerated people, as the Commission works to implement the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022 (Martha Wright-Reed Act).
Ten Things About ACP that Ted Cruz Cares About #6 ACP and Telemedicine
The record shows that Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) recipients regard using access to broadband as critical to their healthcare. A recent study found that 75% of ACP participants fear that losing access to ACP will result in losing access to healthcare. This is consistent with another large-scale survey found that 45% of adults believe that inadequate access to technology, including broadband and computers, is a barrier to telehealth, and this was especially prominent among rural residents and adults over the age of 65. That is, ACP
ACP: The Fight Isn’t Over
Starting in June, 23 million households in the US will have to make a difficult decision: pay more for their monthly internet bill or cut their budget somewhere else to pay for it or go without internet access. This is because the federal subsidy that one in six households has relied on to connect to the internet each month ran out of funds at the end of May. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has lapsed but isn’t dead yet.
Workshop 297 Report: Digital Inclusion Through a Multilingual Internet
On October 13, 2023, in Kyoto, IGF Workshop #297 brought subject matter experts together with interested members of the IGF Community to discuss the policy issues involved in achieving a multilingual Internet.
Connections and Collaboration in the Mountains
On June 4, the Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) at North Carolina State University, in partnership with the Dogwood Health Trust, hosted Digital Opportunities: Growing Connections Across North Carolina at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock.
ACP vs Private Low-Income Plans
I applaud private efforts to address low-income adoption, particularly Comcast’s Internet Essentials, which is the oldest and most extensive program. Comcast started the program in 2011 and has continually studied and changed the program to improve its outcomes. That is the path the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congress should follow with the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).