Universal Broadband

While continuing to fight for Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) funding, we must also prepare for a future without the program if Congress doesn’t act. We spoke with NDIA community members about what you need to help consumers transition off of ACP.  On January 8, NDIA officially filed a letter with the Federal Communications Commission sharing your needs and requests and advocating for what consumers and organizations working with ACP recipients need in this challenging time. Our requests to the FCC: 

U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), JD Vance (R-OH), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and U.S. Representatives Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) led their colleagues in the bicameral, bipartisan introduction of the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act. This legislation would provide $7 billion for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides affordable high-speed internet options to qualifying households across the U.S.

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has been a transformative force, connecting over 22 million households, but it's in trouble. This proposal would allow this national commitment to continue uninterrupted, bring greater accountability to Big Tech, and create a stable, permanent source of funding that would safeguard the program from the uncertainties of the annual appropriations process. 

• Step One: Maintain Connectivity- Congress needs to immediately provide stop-gap funding to keep the program operational while a permanent fix is put in place.

“The Affordable Connectivity Program has helped close the digital divide by connecting over 25,000 Vermont households to lower-cost internet—an essential for working, learning, and staying connected to our communities. Access to high-speed internet isn’t a luxury anymore, it’s a necessity.

The Colorado Office of the Future of Work's Digital Equity Team released the Colorado Digital Access Plan for public comment. The plan includes a vision, mission and values that honor Coloradans and their unique needs and assets. People are at the center of Colorado’s digital inclusion work and in every section of the plan. With this in mind, feedback from the public can be submitted until January 19, 2024.

One of President Biden’s top economic objectives is “lowering prices” for high-speed internet. Central to the Biden Administration’s plan to accomplish this goal is the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). ACP is based on a temporary program initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a subsidy for eligible low-income households. The subsidy is paid directly to participating broadband service providers. Contrary to the President’s intentions,  ACP enrollment is associated with higher monthly charges for fixed broadband internet.

My answer to “who should build broadband networks” has always started with what should be obvious: Usually, the deployer with the lowest cost of capital. But technology and the $42.25 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program and other funding mechanisms have warped the equation. What are your community’s options? What are the deployer options?

The first customers in Spring Garden Township (PA) a rural community in York County, are now enjoying access to 100 percent fiber-optic broadband thanks to efforts from Glo Fiber and Shentel. As construction on the network continues, Glo Fiber said residents and businesses will receive advanced notice via mail of their pending internet access options, according to a recent announcement from the company.

Texas’ Broadband Development Office Director Greg Conte explains why $3.3 billion in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding might not be as appealing as it sounds. “Receiving $3.3 billion is great, but with that comes a lot of responsibility, said Conte. “There’s a lot of attention on Texas as we have a significant amount of unserved and under-served homes, businesses, community anchor institutions.

With less than four months before the projected Affordable Connectivity Program end date and without any immediate additional funding, the Federal Communications Commission expects to begin taking steps to start winding down the program to give households, providers, and other stakeholders sufficient time to prepare. The FCC expects funding to last through April 2024, and run out completely in May 2024. The FCC has released a fact sheet on the ACP which can be viewed here.