Federal Communications Commission
Internet access is not a luxury. Congress should extend connectivity aid program
More than 23 million households will lose affordable internet access as part of a pandemic-era federal program that provided low-income households with a credit of between $30 and $75 toward their monthly service bill.
FCC’s $8 Billion Phone Subsidy Survives Supreme Court Challenge
The US Supreme Court declined to question the $8 billion annual subsidy that helps cover the cost of telecom services for poor people and residents of rural areas, turning away two appeals that sought to rein in federal regulatory power.
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FCC Maps versus Broadband Labels
I have been complaining for years about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mapping rule that allow internet service providers (ISPs) to claim marketing speeds instead of something closer to actual speeds. That allows ISPs to report speeds that benefit them in some manner rather than being truthful to the public. There have been big consequences as a result of this FCC decision. Historically, the maps didn't mean much, as they were only used for the FCC's reports to Congress.
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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.
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FCC Commissioner Starks Adds Flynn Rico-Johnson to Staff
Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks announced that Flynn Rico-Johnson has joined his office as Policy Advisor for wireless, space, and international issues. Mr. Rico-Johnson previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Ranking Member of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Prior to his service in the House, Mr. Rico-Johnson was Legislative Assistant to Senator Amy Klobuchar, and managed government affairs for the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet).
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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).
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FCC Denies Petition to Stay 2024 Open Internet Order
On May 31, 2024, USTelecom – The Broadband Association, NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, CTIA – The Wireless Association, the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association, ACA Connects – America’s Communications Association, the Florida Internet & Television Association, MCTA – The Missouri Internet & Television Association, the Ohio Cable Telecommunications Association, the Ohio Telecom Association, and the Texas Cable Association (together, Petitioners) filed a petition for the Federal Communications Commission to stay the Declaratory Ruling, Order, Report and
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FCC Files Motion to Move Net Neutrality Appeal to DC Circuit
In a series of orders beginning in 2005, the Federal Communications Commission has acted to promote the widespread deployment of broadband networks that are open, affordable, and accessible to all. Four of these previous orders have been reviewed by the D.C. Circuit; the challenge to a fifth order is currently pending (but in abeyance) there as well. The D.C. Circuit has approved aspects of the FCC’s orders but disagreed with others—on several occasions remanding to the FCC for further action or additional deliberation. Thus, for more than a decade, the D.C.
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ISPs Response to the End of ACP
The press is suddenly full of articles talking about how some internet service providers (ISPs) are offering affordable rates to low-income homes now that the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) monthly subsidy has died. Some ISPs are extending the $30 discount for a limited time, while others are offering more affordable broadband plans than in the past. Other ISPs are only making a nod towards affordable broadband and some aren’t giving any discounts to low-income households.
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Understanding uptake in demand-side broadband subsidy programs: The affordable connectivity program case
This paper hypothesizes that Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) enrollment decisions are not solely individual, but also influenced by community-wide considerations, such as housing costs, share of occupied houses, presence of anchor institutions such as public libraries, and population density (i.e., whether a place is urban or rural). The paper develops a regression model that predicts ACP enrollment rates among eligible households at the 5-digit zip code geography as a function of the variables discussed above.