Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Illinois, Oregon, and Puerto Rico’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. This approval enables Illinois, Oregon, and Puerto Rico to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program. Today’s action allows the entities to request access to:  

Sen Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) held a video press conference to announce her bipartisan legislation to renew the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a federal program that provides financial assistance to low-income households to help them afford high-speed internet.

CentraCom, a leading provider of high-speed internet, phone, and TV services, previously announced the launch of its Extended Broadband Discount (EBD) program. This initiative is designed to bridge the gap for current Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) recipients after the FCC discontinued the program due to a lack of funding. Understanding the critical role internet access plays in today's world, CentraCom is committed to keeping its customers connected. The CentraCom EBD program extends a similar discount to current ACP recipients who are CentraCom subscribers.

All 51 New York City Council members have signed a letter imploring Sen Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to renew funding for a vital federal program that’s helped nearly 1 million low-income households afford internet service in the city by taking up to $30 off their monthly internet bills. Money for the $14.2 billion program ran out in April, threatening the progress that had been made in closing the digital divide over the past couple years.

By mid June, we will have blown past the halfway mark in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment challenge process—with more than thirty states having completed their “challenge windows” and another handful set to close imminently. But the “challenge window” is only part of the overall challenge process, and there are reasons for communities to stay engaged with the process even after that window closes.

Rep Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) introduced the Saving Americans' Valuable Earnings on the National Affordable Connectivity Program (SAVE on ACP) Act to strengthen the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), complete the equipment removal of China-based companies Huawei and ZTE, and allow the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reauction certain spectrum licenses to create more responsive networks for consumers. Rep Gallego's SAVE on ACP Act would:

A new regulatory framework to address digital discrimination has created a chilling effect felt across the broadband industry mainly because of its unclear enforcement, according to aides to Republican Federal Communications Commissioners. “Out of fear of running afoul of the rules, companies will certainly avoid otherwise planned investments,” said Erin Boone, chief of staff and wireless advisor for Republican FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington.

A contentious battle over spectrum between the US Commerce Department and the US Department of Defense (DoD) may have finally come to an end.

Senate Commerce Committee  Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-TX) asked New Street Research Policy Advisor and Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Blair Levin to clarify remarks Levin made about the negative impact the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) will have on the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Levin answered saying that BEAD does not fund the cost of deployment broadband to an unserved or underserved area; rather it funds the difference between the cost of deployment and what a provider would be willing to invest to serve that area.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Colorado and New Hampshire’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. This approval enables Colorado and New Hampshire to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide and meeting the President’s goal of connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.