Legislation
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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.
Talking BEAD Rounds, State’s Big Investment and More with Wisconsin Broadband Director
Wisconsin broadband director Alyssa Kenney acknowledges that leading a state broadband office might not be for everyone. But she described the job as exactly what she is looking for because it’s “challenging, exciting and feeds my need to be constantly learning.
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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).
Alaska broadband company MTA says FTTH costs $9,000 per passing
If there are any telephone companies in the US that are experts at closing the digital divide it’s the ones in Alaska. The state encompasses 663,267 square miles, which is more than Texas, California and Montana combined. And Alaska’s MTA has been connecting citizens of the state for over 70 years, so it has a lot of experience.
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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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Gov Holcomb announces more than $81 million broadband expansion
Governor Eric Holcomb (R-IN) announced an additional $81.5 million in the final round of the Next Level Connections Broadband Grant Program. The fourth round of the grant program leveraged 17 telecommunications providers and utility cooperatives contributing more than $135 million in matching funds, resulting in more than $216 million total investment for broadband.
NTCA Recommends Four Steps Toward Successful BEAD Projects
NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association advises stakeholders to heed four recommendations regarding the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment funding program. NTCA’s first recommendation applies to providers that don’t plan to apply for BEAD funding, as well as those who plan to do so. Noting that most states are just beginning the BEAD challenge process, NTCA said the challenge process is critical to determining areas eligible for funding.
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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.