Low-income

With the future of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) looking grimmer every day, wireless operators and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) are preparing for its demise and weighing their alternatives. The ACP is expected to run out of money by mid-May, leaving millions of Americans without discounted internet services.

In August 2020, during the heart of the covid-19 pandemic when many schools were closed, social media and news outlets were awash with a picture of two grade school students sitting outside of a Taco Bell, attempting to do their schoolwork.

What would Jesus do about extending the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)? That may be the most important telecommunications policy question answered in 2024.

New customer sign-ups in the US broadband industry slowed down dramatically in the first quarter of this year, according to a pair of analyst groups.

I’ve heard rumors for years that the policymakers in DC never expected the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to be permanent. The expectation of the original architects of the plan was that ISPs would bow to public pressure to fill the void when ACP ran dry. However, the giant ISPs are not likely to self-fund the discounts and smaller ISPs can’t afford to do so. I’ve seen some recent articles that argue that the Federal Communications Commission could employ the Universal Service Fund.

What if there was a way to encourage fiber upgrades to those communities without direct government expenditures? Internet service providers (ISPs) have often complained that cities put up barriers and add costs to fiber deployment; what if cities reduced or removed those enough to change the economics and induce new fiber builds? That is exactly what Memphis (TN) has done. Only 24% of Memphis households have access to fiber, largely from AT&T.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has accepted Oklahoma’s Digital Equity plan. Using $882,088.00 from the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, Oklahoma created a plan aimed at addressing disparities in digital access, skills and affordability across the state. 

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has accepted Missouri’s Digital Equity plan. Using $827,338.00 from the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, Missouri created a plan aimed at addressing disparities in digital access, skills and affordability across the state.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has accepted Vermont’s Digital Equity plan. The Digital Equity Act, part of the Internet for All initiative and a key piece of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, provides $2.75 billion to establish three grant programs that promote digital equity and inclusion. The program aims to ensure that all people and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of our digital economy.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has accepted Ohio’s Digital Equity plan. The Digital Equity Act, part of the Internet for All initiative and a key piece of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, provides $2.75 billion to establish three grant programs that promote digital equity and inclusion. The program aims to ensure that all people and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of our digital economy.