Daily Digest 8/2/2023 (Sheila Y. Oliver)

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
Table of Contents

Digital Equity

Open Access Network Operator Underline Claims Most Generous ACP Low-Income Broadband Offering  |  Read below  |  Joan Engebretson  |  telecompetitor
Letter Urging Congress to Support Additional Funding for the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program  |  Read below  |  Letter  |  Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities

Local Initiatives

Counties must speak up with their broadband needs  |  Summary at Benton.org  |  Mary Barton  |  Analysis  |  National Association of Counties

Wireless

Republic Wireless shutting down as Dish moves customers over to Boost Infinite  |  Read below  |  Monica Alleven  |  Fierce
Tower companies feel varying degrees of US 5G slowdown  |  Fierce

Platforms/Social Media/AI

Why Some Experts Are Concerned About Threads’ Data Collection  |  Time
We can’t let AI take over the 2024 election  |  Hill, The
Democrats and Republicans agree: Kids are addicted to social media and government can help  |  Hill, The
Top 5 US newspapers fail to push back on Twitter owner Elon Musk’s claims to champion free speech in 77% of their related report  |  Media Matters

Health

Video Telehealth Use Is More Common Among Urban Veterans  |  mHealth Intelligence

Policymakers

CTIA Announces Umair Javed as Senior Vice President, Spectrum  |  Read below  |  Press Release  |  CTIA - The Wireless Association

Stories From Abroad

Meta Platforms Begins Blocking News for Canadian Users  |  Wall Street Journal
US tech companies say U.K. privacy bill poses ‘serious threat’ to communication  |  Washington Post
Today's Top Stories

Digital Equity

Open Access Network Operator Underline Claims Most Generous ACP Low-Income Broadband Offering

Joan Engebretson  |  telecompetitor

Open access network operator Underline is launching what Founder and CEO Bob Thompson calls the “most generous” Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) offering in the US. Multiple broadband providers have what Thompson calls “net zero” ACP offerings that have a price tag of $30, enabling qualifying households to get free service when the ACP benefit is applied. But, as he noted, these offerings typically provide relatively low speeds in comparison with the providers’ other services. That won’t be true for Underline, though. “Unlike with the bigger companies, a poor family gets no less speed and performance than a paying family gets,” Thompson said. The Underline “net zero” offering will provide 500 Mbps symmetrical service and is the same as an Underline offering that costs $49 for non-ACP households. In addition, ACP customers will have the option of purchasing gigabit symmetrical service for $35 a month after the ACP benefit is applied. That service costs $65 for non-ACP households. Thompson hopes that Underline’s move will put pressure on other providers to enhance their ACP low-income broadband services. “Behavior won’t change until it’s in [other providers’] interest to change or they are forced by the competitive process,” Thompson said. “We challenge the industry to step up and do the right thing.”

Letter Urging Congress to Support Additional Funding for the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program

We write to express our strong support for the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and to urge Congress to allocate additional funding to this crucial initiative. By investing in the FCC’s ACP, we can address the existing digital disparities faced by people with disabilities and promote a more inclusive and equitable society. As the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus, we appreciate your leadership in ensuring that the ACP continues to close the digital divide for people with disabilities and millions of eligible households across our nation. Access to affordable and robust broadband connectivity is a fundamental necessity in our increasingly digital world. Unfortunately, many people with disabilities face significant barriers when it comes to accessing affordable broadband services. Broadband is no longer just a convenience; it is a vital tool that enables individuals to access educational resources, healthcare services, employment and job opportunities, as well as civic, community, and social engagement. As you are acutely aware, while the ACP has made great strides in making broadband services more affordable to low-income households, not only must the progress we have made be sustained, much more outreach and household inclusion remains to be done. If the Program funding were to lapse, millions of households would be left behind and these government-supported outreach efforts will have been for nought. By providing additional funding to this program, Congress can maintain its commitment to the more than 19 million households already served by the ACP and expand the reach of the program to the projected 51.6 million eligible households across our nation.

Wireless

Republic Wireless shutting down as Dish moves customers over to Boost Infinite

Monica Alleven  |  Fierce

Republic Wireless, once a pioneer in the “Wi-Fi first” movement, will stop operating as a stand-alone wireless brand. Dish acquired the business in 2021 and is moving all Republic customers over to Boost Infinite. Republic Wireless customers do not need new handsets, but a portion will need a new SIM card as they transition over to Boost. Dish sent affected customers alert and instructional emails, a SIM card and additional resources on how to contact customer care if customers want further assistance. An email posted on Reddit showed how some Republic customers received the news. The message said if a customer’s Republic plan was less than $25/month as of May 2023, their payment will stay the same for the first six months. After that, it’s $25/month, and that’s “forever,” according to the message.

Policymakers

CTIA Announces Umair Javed as Senior Vice President, Spectrum

Press Release  |  CTIA - The Wireless Association

Umair Javed has joined CTIA-The Wireless Association as Senior Vice President, Spectrum. In this capacity, Javed will shape and coordinate the organization’s spectrum advocacy. Javed comes to CTIA from the Federal Communications Commission. As Chief Counsel, he played a central role in shaping our nation’s spectrum policy. During his tenure, Javed helped focus the agency on identifying mid-band spectrum for 5G, oversaw one of the most successful auctions in US history, and launched the FCC’s Spectrum Coordination Initiative to enhance partnerships between agencies and the private sector. Javed holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia.

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Benton (www.benton.org) provides the only free, reliable, and non-partisan daily digest that curates and distributes news related to universal broadband, while connecting communications, democracy, and public interest issues. Posted Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are factually accurate, their sometimes informal tone may not always represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang (headlines AT benton DOT org), Grace Tepper (grace AT benton DOT org), and David L. Clay II (dclay AT benton DOT org) — we welcome your comments.


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