Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

An FCC order directing the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau to issue an additional notice of funding opportunity for the affordable connectivity program's national competitive outreach grant and the tribal competitive outreach grant programs is effective Tuesday, said a notice for that day's Federal Register. The commission made up to $10 million available to be spent equally by each grant program (see 2303150058).

The FCC Wireline Bureau selected two more entities for the affordable connectivity program's Your Home, Your Internet Pilot and ACP Navigator Pilot programs Thursday. Baltimore County Public Library and Florida Atlantic University were selected to participate and will do so without grant funding, said a public notice in docket 21-450. A total of 34 entities were selected to participate in the two pilot programs (see 2303150058).

Consumer advocates and local broadband officials emphasized the need for states to engage community stakeholders as they prepare their digital equity plans funded by the Digital Equity Act, during a Broadband Breakfast webinar Wednesday (see 2211020082). Some urged additional funding for the FCC's affordable connectivity program to ensure low-income households can adopt broadband once NTIA's grant programs are implemented.

More than 17 million households have enrolled in the FCC's affordable connectivity program to date, the agency announced Monday. The FCC partnered with the U.S. Digital Service to develop "a series of enhancements to the online consumer application system," said a news release. Among the changes included "providing clear instructions, to decrease steps and to simplify language while continuing to protect against waste, fraud and abuse and guarding the integrity of the program." The rollout is "part of our ongoing work to improve the consumer experience with the program," said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. U.S. Digital Service Deputy Administrator Cori Zarek said the changes will "streamline the process" to ensure "as little friction as possible" during the application process. The enhancements were "developed in consultation with digital navigators, digital equity advocates, and [ISPs]."

FCC regulations on broadcasting, telephony and accessibility will “become increasingly hollow shells of themselves” unless Congress decides to what degree the FCC should “move into the app ecosystem,” said Commissioner Nathan Simington at this week’s Free State Foundation Conference. Panelists at the event, including Commissioner Brendan Carr, also discussed broadband deployment and definitions, and the agency’s spectrum authority. The FCC “isn’t currently regulating the edge space, but that doesn’t have to last forever,” Simington said.

The FCC Wireline Bureau released draft guidance Monday on the type of data to be collected for the affordable connectivity program's data collection. Comments on the proposed information collection are due May 15 in docket 21-450, said a public notice.

Programs to promote broadband access need a sustainable, reliable source of funding beyond the current one-time federal infusion, and should partner with local community organizations to succeed, said panelists Thursday at the FCC Communications Equity and Diversity Council’s “Lessons Learned from the Pandemic” virtual roundtable. “We cannot fund [broadband access programs] only at one time, during a crisis,” said Ovidiu Viorica, who manages the broadband and technology program for the New Mexico Public School Facilities Authority. “We have to make the funding predictable, and continuous because that's what it's going to take.”

California policymakers should reconsider what counts as free broadband service as it doles out public housing grants, said the California Broadband and Video Association (CalBroadband) Tuesday. In a petition at the California Public Utilities Commission, the state cable association raised concerns with a December CPUC resolution (T-17775), saying services made free by the federal affordable connectivity program (ACP) aren’t truly free. CalBroadband’s petition should be rejected, two consumer advocates responded Wednesday.

Delaware and several municipalities seek to increase awareness of the federal affordable connectivity program, Gov. John Carney (D) said Tuesday. Local leaders in Dover, Wilmington and other cities and towns plan outreach efforts over the next month, the governor’s office said.

Senate Privacy Subcommittee Chairman Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., urged the FCC Tuesday to “adopt strong rules” as part of its implementation of the Safe Connections Act “to protect the privacy of domestic violence survivors and to ensure their access to critical phone and broadband services.” Comments are due April 12, replies May 12, in docket 22-238 on FCC implementation of the statute to improve access to communications services for survivors of domestic violence (see 2303130007). The FCC should “ensure the process is made easy for survivors of domestic violence to access the privacy, safety, and financial protection provided in the bill,” Blumenthal said in a letter to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “I agree with survivor advocacy and direct service organizations that the Commission should adopt rules that lower barriers to access Lifeline and the Affordable Connectivity Program. Setting the standard of survivor identification to be self-attestation, rather than requiring a third-party to ‘vouch’ abuse and financial difficulties, can enhance survivor agency and access to low-cost phone service programs.” Blumenthal also supports “strengthening the FCC’s privacy rules to protect domestic violence survivors that are accessing support resources, such as shelters and assistance hotlines.”