Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
End of internet subsidies for low-income households threatens access to telehealth
The importance of high-speed internet was seared into the American psyche by scenes of children sitting in parking lots and outside fast-food restaurants to attend school online during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that same period, health care providers and patients like Cindy Westman say being connected also became a vital part of today’s health care delivery system. Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) participant Westman said her internet connection has become so important to her access to health care she would sell “anything that I own” to stay connected.
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NTIA Adopts New Measures to Streamline Environmental Impact Permitting Review for “Internet for All” Projects
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced 30 new “categorical exclusions” established to support National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews for broadband infrastructure deployments funded by the Internet for All programs.
Canadian private equity blocks rural Americans from getting fiber broadband
A private equity firm based in Canada may prevent a lot of rural US Midwesterners from getting fiber broadband. But that’s OK with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) because it’s all perfectly legal. Mercury Broadband, which is majority owned by the private equity firm Northleaf Capital Partners, has claimed it covers vast swathes of Michigan, Kansas and Indiana with its fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband service.
BEAD Disparities: As Some States Struggle to Get Everyone Connected, Others May Have Leftover Funds
Over a quarter of states are expected to be able to have enough Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding to get broadband to all their unserved and underserved areas and still have money left. At the other end of the spectrum, some states are struggling to meet national goals of making broadband available to everyone and to deploy fiber to the maximum extent possible.
How the FCC could save the Affordable Connectivity Program
A number of former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officials are pointing to expanding the Lifeline program, under the Universal Service Fund (USF), as the way to save a version of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), and prevent tens of millions of people from losing access to the monthly broadband subsidy. One way the FCC could do that was outlined in a recent petition for expedited rulemaking filed
Consumer-driven design and evaluation of broadband labels
This study examines the content and layout of the proposed broadband consumer disclosure labels mandated by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Our large-scale user study identifies key consumer preferences and comprehension factors through a two-phase survey of 2500 broadband internet consumers. Findings reveal strong support for broadband labels, but dissatisfaction with the FCC's proposed labels from 2016. Participants generally struggled to use the label for cost computations and plan comparisons.
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NTIA Making Resources Available to Help States Turn Digital Equity Plans into Reality
On March 29, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program.
Prepaid business likely to suffer from demise of ACP
If Congress doesn’t act soon, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is expected to run out of money by the end of April, leaving millions of Americans without discounted internet services.
Blair Levin: BEAD dollars to flow in later than expected
The Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program is poised to "provide a material stimulus" to broadband service operators with respect to government-subsidized footprint expansion, but the "dollars will flow later than originally expected," a top policy analyst predicts. It's unlikely that a "significant number" of BEAD-funded networks will become operational in 2025, New Street Research's Blair Levin explained in a
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Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus Backs Legislation to Protect Internet Access for Low-Income Families
The bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus announced its endorsement of the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, legislation that will facilitate the continuation of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) through the end of 2024. The program is currently on track to shut down at the end of April, disrupting broadband access for tens of millions of Americans. The bipartisan legislation was introduced by Reps Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Yvette Clarke (D-NT) and has 215 additional cosponsors, 41 of whom are Members of the Problem Solvers Caucus.