Upcoming policy issue
Regulators set the stage for AI antitrust battles
The Affordable Connectivity Program is over—now what?
As of June 1, the Affordable Connectivity Program has officially come and gone. Question is, now what?
ACHP Chair Asks Congress to Reject Legislative Proposals Allowing Projects to Bypass Historic Preservation Review Process
On behalf of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), Chair Sara Bronin has called on Congress to reject provisions in 15 bills that would exempt certain types of infrastructure projects from review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Section 106 requires federal agencies to consider the effects of projects, carried out by them or subject to their assistance or approval, on historic properties.
The Areas Hit Hardest by the End of the ACP Internet Subsidy
After the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program on June 1, Government Technology analyzed enrollment data published by the White House to determine where state and local government leaders might expect to see the biggest impact as a result of the end of the program. While California, New York, Texas, Florida and Ohio had the largest numbers of Internet subscribers
End of Pandemic Internet Subsidies Threatens a Health Care Lifeline for Rural America
Myrna Broncho realized just how necessary an internet connection can be after she broke her leg. Broncho needed nine surgeries and rehabilitation that took months.
The ACP Is Dead: Long Live the ACP
As of June 1, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is officially exhausted. This means that the 23 million households that rely on it can no longer receive a $30 per month discount on fixed or mobile broadband service. Without the ACP, customers’ main option is the antiquated Lifeline program, which offers $9.25 per month toward broadband service.
Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill, 2025
The Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill provides a total discretionary allocation of $23.608 billion, which is nearly 20 percent below the President’s Budget Request and nearly 10 percent below the effective spending level provided in Fiscal Year 2024. The defense portion of the allocation is $45 million, and the non-defense portion of the allocation is $23.563 billion.
Could the ACP Push the Feds to Resolve Festering USF Issues?
For years, the federal government has avoided any attempt to resolve a long-standing problem: how to sustain funding for the Universal Service program. But perhaps that could change now that the lack of funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has gained substantial mindshare with the American public. Some stakeholders believe both problems can be solved by funding the ACP through the Universal Service Fund (USF) and expanding the types of entities that are required to pay to support the program.
Our Balkanized Broadband Leadership
Congress inserted an interesting requirement into the bill that reauthorizes the funding for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Both the House and Senate added language that would require that a national broadband plan be created that would try to put the Federal Communications Commission, the NTIA, US Department of Agriculture, and other agencies on the same page.
Ten Things About ACP that Ted Cruz Cares About—And Ten Answers that Could Help Reshape How We Think About the Program
On May 2, 2024, New Street Research Policy Advisor and Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Blair Levin testified before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband at a hearing entitled The Future of Broadband Affordability.