Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
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Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s Response to Senators Cruz and Thune Regarding the Distribution of Funds in Various Programs
Thank you for your letter sent on March 16, 2023, asking for specific information regarding the Federal Communications Commission’s distribution of funds in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB), Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), COVID-19 Telehealth program and the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF).
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Making Strides on Broadband Affordability
In 2021, the Office of the State Comptroller reported that more than 1 million (roughly 14 percent) New York households lacked access to broadband. Two federal programs—the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB) and the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)—have been established to address these disparities in access and are demonstrating positive results. The share of low-income households with a broadband subscription climbed from 64 percent to 76 percent between 2019 and 2021, a 12 percentage point increase.
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Federal Broadband Funding Report: These Agencies Are Funding Internet for All
On May 8, 2023, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth released its second annual report
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FCC Inspector General Answers GOP Leaders on Broadband Subsidies
Are Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) subsidies being targeted to households currently without broadband?
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Communications and Technology Subcommittee Hearing Examines the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology convened to conduct oversight of the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The subcommittee is considering reauthorizing NTIA for the first time since 1993. Key questions leading into the hearing included:
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Will Congress Fund the ACP?
The clock is ticking on the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Current estimates show the program may run out of funding as soon as the end of the first quarter in 2024. The only solution for keeping ACP operating is for Congress to refill the ACP funding bucket somehow. Angela Siefer of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance said that reauthorizing ACP was one of the biggest broadband issues on the plate for Congress. She talked about the many gains that have been made in getting broadband to low-income homes.
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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.
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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
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2022 Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth Annual Report
The ACCESS BROADBAND Act requires the