Wisconsin officials promised Tuesday to take big strides to close the state’s digital divide. Local governments should engage with the state on plans for NTIA’s broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program and do more to increase participation in the federal affordable connectivity program (ACP), said Wisconsin Public Service Commission Chairperson Rebecca Cameron Valcq at a partially virtual broadband forum co-hosted by NTIA and the Wisconsin PSC: “We cannot leave any part of our state behind.”
Industry groups asked the FCC to ensure the affordable connectivity program's annual data collection is "streamlined and efficient for the benefit of consumers and providers," per an ex parte filing posted Thursday in docket 21-450 (see 2207260070). NTCA, USTelecom, CTIA, NCTA and ACA Connects met with Wireline Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics staffers. The groups said a subscriber-level collection "would run afoul" of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and be "difficult, if not impossible" to define the requirement. It would also "have a chilling effect among subscribers who do not wish to turn over their personal data," the groups said, suggesting the FCC collect aggregated data at the state level on price and subscription rates of ACP service offerings.
After scrapping a California LifeLine proposal on the state low-income program’s interaction with federal support (see 2210040037), the California Public Utilities Commission sought comment Friday on a possible pilot for using federal affordable connectivity program (ACP) funds. It would “test an approach to providing a bundled service plan that includes voice service and sufficient wireline or wireless broadband service to meet household needs,” said the ruling by Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma in docket R.20-02-008. Pilot participants could “stack” up to $17.90 monthly of the California LifeLine specific support amount with the $30 ACP discount and $9.25 federal Lifeline subsidy for plans that meet the pilot criteria, it said. All state LifeLine participants who meet ACP and federal Lifeline eligibility criteria would be eligible for the pilot, it said. Comments are due Nov. 30, with replies due Dec. 30.
More than 1 million New York households enrolled in the federal affordable connectivity program, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said Wednesday. About 30% of eligible New York households subscribe, the governor’s office said. With ACP and “and a multi-agency outreach effort in New York State, we're connecting more eligible households to broadband subsidies than anywhere else in the nation,” Hochul said.
Disaster information reporting system data shows 415,640 cable and wireline subscribers without service in areas affected by Hurricane Ian, said Tuesday’s report. That’s an improvement from Monday’s 474,706. The report also shows 3.1% of cellsites down, along with 5 FM stations and two AM stations. In a news release Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced the deployment of five SpaceX Starlinks to provide communications access in the affected areas. The Media Bureau extended online public file deadlines for broadcasters in Florida and South Carolina from Oct. 11 to Dec. 12, said a public notice in Tuesday's Daily Digest. The Wireline Bureau is also waiving certain provisions of the rules for E-Rate, the Emergency Connectivity Fund, Rural Health Care, COVID-19 Telehealth, Lifeline, High Cost, and Affordable Connectivity Program participants in Florida and the Carolinas affected by Ian, said a public notice Tuesday.
The FCC Wireline Bureau extended its waiver of Lifeline recertification and reverification requirements for subscribers residing on tribal lands through Jan. 31, said an order Friday in docket 11-42 (see 2209160042). The bureau also extended the waiver to Lifeline subscribers on tribal lands that are also participating in the affordable connectivity program.
The FCC Wireline Bureau waived provisions of the E-rate, Emergency Connectivity Fund, Rural Health Care, COVID-19 Telehealth, Lifeline, and Affordable Connectivity Program rules for participants and USF contributors in Puerto Rico due to damage from Hurricane Fiona, said an order Thursday. The order includes extensions for E-rate, Rural Health Care and ECF deadlines, waivers of document retention rules for records destroyed by Hurricane Fiona, and increased flexibility for service substitutions. It also waives Lifeline non-usage, recertification and reverification requirements and ACP recertification and de-enrollment requirements for subscribers in Puerto Rico. “Given the damage caused by Hurricane Fiona to Puerto Rico’s infrastructure, strict compliance with these rules would be impracticable and would risk harm” to subscribers, the order said. The order also waives some USF requirements for affected contributors. “The extensive damage to property and facilities caused by Hurricane Fiona has rendered many providers unable to serve the Affected Disaster Areas.” The FCC disaster information reporting system showed 26.4% of cellsites down Thursday, and 703,576 wireline subscribers without service, compared with 741,451 Wednesday. The report shows five FM stations and four AM stations still out of service and no public safety access points down.
To close the digital literacy gap and maximize federal dollars for increasing broadband access, programs and institutions need to focus on local solutions, existing community programs, and community anchor institutions like libraries, said numerous panelists at the FCC Communications Equity and Diversity Council’s virtual Digital Skills Gap Symposium and Town Hall Thursday. The symposium is intended to help inform the CEDC’s efforts to create a national plan and toolkit for digital upskilling in connection with the Digital Equity Act, said CEDC Chair Heather Gate.
Former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn will keynote the Communications Equity and Diversity Council Digital Skills Gap Symposium and Town Hall Thursday (see 2209120046), said an agenda released Tuesday. The event is to “examine the issues and challenges that states and localities face in addressing the need for greater adoption of digital skills training,” the agenda said. The event also will include a town hall discussion and a panel on efforts to increase broadband access such as the Digital Equity Act and the Affordable Connectivity Program.
The FCC will release a notice of funding opportunity “in the coming months” for organizations seeking funding through the affordable connectivity program’s outreach grant program, said Derik Goatson, Office of Native Affairs Policy legal adviser, during a Consumer Action webinar Tuesday (see 2208050023). The grant program’s review process will “prioritize applicants who target underserved low-income households and communities with low ACP enrollment rates,” Goatson said, noting “many of these communities are often tribal communities.”