The FCC granted nearly 200 applicants about $66 million in funding through the affordable connectivity outreach grant program Friday. The commission received 350 applications, said a news release. "These outreach grants will help us expand awareness in more communities, so we can continue the work to close the digital divide," said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The commission awarded $60 million through the national competitive outreach program and about $6 million through the tribal competitive outreach program. Awards for the Your Home, Your Internet and ACP Navigator Pilot programs will be given later. Also Friday, Rosenworcel circulated an order proposing another "more targeted" notice of funding opportunity for ACP outreach grants. "I’ve proposed another targeted grant opportunity to give even more outreach partners a chance to join us in our work to close the digital divide," Rosenworcel said.
Lawmakers are beginning to forward to the White House the names of preferred contenders to replace Gigi Sohn as President Joe Biden's nominee to be the FCC's third Democrat, after the ex-candidate’s Tuesday announcement that she had asked the White House to withdraw her from Senate consideration (see 2303070082). The names of several potential contenders were also circulating among communications sector lobbyists, but several officials told us there's no prohibitive favorite in the immediate aftermath of Sohn's withdrawal. The White House didn't comment on its plans. The administration hadn’t formally withdrawn Sohn Friday.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel was to visit the Los Angeles Public Library's Pio Pico-Koreatown branch Thursday with Mayor Karen Bass (D) and EveryoneOn to promote the affordable connectivity program. The library launched a public campaign to increase enrollment, said a news release. “I’m grateful to Mayor Bass and our local community partners for collaborating with us to ensure families can get online and stay online, no matter who they are or where they live,” Rosenworcel said.
Eugene, Ore., Mayor Lucy Vinis (D) and Springfield, Ore., Mayor Sean VanGordon (R) and other city officials spoke with staff for FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel about RF safety and other issues. “Local governments often face questions and requests for action” on RF “from their residents, and given that the Communications Act assigns primary responsibility in this area to the Commission, we believe the Commission should shoulder more of the burden of explaining its rules to the public and also informing the public they should look to the Commission and Congress if they are unhappy with the Commission’s rules or with federal preemption of local authority to regulate RF emissions,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 19-226. They also discussed the FCC’s affordable connectivity program and “expressed concern about the program’s forthcoming funding cliff,” the filing said.
FCC commissioners emphasized the need for action on spectrum policy and 5G, and more certainty on broadband affordability and deployment efforts, during Incompas’ policy summit Tuesday. Some industry experts also urged changes to sustain the USF because funding for the affordable connectivity program remains uncertain and the USF contribution factor continues to rise.
Next Century Cities urged the FCC to take a more granular approach to its annual data collection for the affordable connectivity program. Aggregate level data "fails to include location and demographic data about subscribers that can be used to build crucial models" on the program's success, NCC told an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, per an ex parte filing posted Thursday in docket 21-450. The group filed a petition for reconsideration on the matter with the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society in February (see 2302130062). NCC also stressed the need to require an "average speed measurement" instead of a "typical" speed in the forthcoming consumer broadband labels. "Broadband speed estimates are typically higher than actual speeds delivered," it said.
The end seems nigh for affordable connectivity program (ACP) funding, with dicey odds of Congress acting before its money runs out in early 2024, speakers said Wednesday at ACA Connects' 2023 Washington summit. Small cable operator participation in the broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program will depend on the rules governing it, they said.
Industry groups urged the FCC not to revisit its current rules for the affordable connectivity program's annual data collection, in reply comments posted Tuesday in docket 21-450 (see 2301120056). The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act required the commission to collect data on prices and subscription rates offered by participating providers. Consumer advocacy organizations disagreed and continued to back subscriber-level data collection with additional data points.
Industry groups and consumer advocacy organizations disagree about how the FCC should define digital discrimination and ways to facilitate equal access to broadband, according to comments posted through Wednesday in docket 22-69. The commission adopted an NPRM in December seeking comment on rules to combat digital discrimination, as required by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (see 2301190049).
FCC commissioners moved to assist survivors of domestic violence by approving an NPRM on access to affordable communications services, during the agency's open meeting Thursday (see 2301260050). lt also approved an item seeking comment on ways to further participation among tribal libraries in the E-rate program.