Report on past event

Understanding and Driving Enrollment in the Affordable Connectivity Program

Fitting the monthly cost of a broadband subscription into a low-income household budget is difficult, to say the least, because of the costs of competing necessities like lodging, food, and healthcare. These financial pressures—and unexpected expenses—keep too many people in the U.S. from subscribing to home broadband service—or cause them to drop service at times to make ends meet. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress recognized these obstacles for low-income people and created a program—first called the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program—to reduce the monthly costs of connectivity.

Broadband Mapping By and For Communities

On Monday, September 26, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Director of Research and Fellowships Dr. Revati Prasad hosted an online panel discussion, From the Ground Up: Broadband Mapping By and for Communities, on how communities and states are collecting data on local broadband availability as the Federal Communications Commission rolls out the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) program.

Broadband in Five Years

House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-SC) joined Glen Echo Group CEO Maura Corbett for a conversation at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s 40th Anniversary celebration. In the wake of the unprecedented investment in broadband included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Corbett asked Clyburn where he thinks we’ll be in five years. “Oh, in five years,” Clyburn answered, “I think this is going to be a successful venture.” Representative Clyburn said attention now turns to states, like his home, South Carolina.

E Pluribus Unum and Universal Broadband

On April 6, House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-SC) joined a packed house at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in downtown Washington, DC to help the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society celebrate its 40th anniversary. Congressman Clyburn (D-SC) is the third-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, and also serves, importantly, as chair of the House Rural Broadband Task Force.

Happy Belated Birthday, Andrew Jay Schwartzman

At our 40th Anniversary celebration on April 6, we were delighted to honor Andrew Jay Schwartzman and celebrate his 75th birthday.

Broadband & Democracy

Technology is a tool, a tool that can be used, if distributed equitably, to improve society. At the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, we are not for broadband just for broadband’s sake. In the "Broadband & Society" part of our name, we recognize that in our increasingly digital lives, equitable access to broadband and a just society are inseparable. Broadband's potential, its promise, is not just quicker communication, but improving education, healthcare, job training and acquisition, economic development, delivering government services, and so much more.

A First for Digital Equity and Broadband Adoption

The House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing entitled Empowering and Connecting Communities Through Digital Equity and Internet Adoption.

Digital Equity and Broadband Adoption

Current research suggests that low-income people can only afford to pay about $10  monthly for broadband. Anything more competes with other utility bills and the cost of food. Meeting the goal of universal connectivity and providing fixed broadband at about $10 per month requires a multi-pronged strategy - what my Benton colleague Jonathan Sallet calls an “Affordability Agenda.” It includes:

Do We Still Care About Diversity?

On Wednesday, January 15, the House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing on diversity in the media market. In announcing the hearing, Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr.

FCC struggles to convince judge that broadband isn’t “telecommunications”

Federal Communications Commission General Counsel Thomas Johnson faced a skeptical panel of judges of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit as he defended the agency's repeal of net neutrality rules and deregulation of the broadband industry.

The Latest Round of FTC Competition and Consumer Protection Hearings

The Federal Trade Commission this week held another set of hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century. The hearings and public comment process this Fall and Winter will provide opportunities for FTC staff and leadership to listen to experts and the public on key privacy and antitrust issues facing the modern economy. The hearings are intended to stimulate thoughtful internal and external evaluation of the FTC’s near- and long-term law enforcement and policy agenda.

FCC Chairman Pai receives NRA gun award for courage

In lieu of delivering advertised remarks dubbed "American Pai: The Courageous Chairman of the FCC," Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai received the National Rifle Association's (NRA) “Charlton Heston Courage Under Fire Award” at the Conservative Political Action Conference. The NRA-sponsored award was given to Chairman Pai in recognition of months of heavy criticism over his successful push to repeal the agency’s network neutrality rules. Chairman Pai led the push to repeal the rules, which were overwhelmingly supported by the public.

FCC Commissioners Again Plead for Additional ACP Funding

On March 14, the Federal Communications Commission adopted its annual assessment of whether broadband is being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion.

White House calls for ACP renewal at Connected America

On Day 2 of Connected America, a surprise guest took to the stage to issue a rallying cry for affordable connectivity across the USA. Austin Bonner, Deputy US CTO from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, warned that 23 million people stood to lose affordable connectivity if the Affordable Connectivity Program’s (ACP) funding is not renewed and urged a divided Congress to make additional funding a priority. Despite only around half of eligible households taking advantage of the program, funding is running out.

State of the Union Address

Thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, 46,000 new projects have been announced across your communities – modernizing our roads and bridges, ports and airports, and public transit systems. ... Providing affordable high speed internet for every American no matter where you live. 

Commissioner Simington Addresses Incompas Policy Summit

I focus my remarks on the satellite service sector—both what I see for its future and what the Federal Communications Commission can do today to ensure its success. Starting with direct-to-cell—I am pleased to see that the FCC is crafting a flexible framework that allows the US to take the lead on policymaking for this new service, while also ensuring that we do not constrict innovation and fledgling business models. A strong but flexible regulatory framework is the best approach for bolstering both America’s leadership and industry’s success.

Federal Communications Commissioner Starks Remarks at INCOMPAS 2024 Policy Summit

We stand at a crossroad in the landscape of communications and digital equity. As we navigate the complexities of the 21st century, one thing has remained unchanged—our commitment to ensuring that every American, regardless of where you live or how much you make, has access to reliable, affordable, and high-speed Internet.

Rep Pallone & FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Call for Congress to Keep Internet Service Affordable for New Jersey Families

Rep Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel called for urgent congressional action to extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. The program provides eligible households with a discount on their monthly internet bills. Currently, 338,000 New Jersey families are benefiting from the program, including nearly 24,000 households in Rep Pallone’s Congressional district.

FCC Chair Unveils Latest ACP Metrics at Net Inclusion 2024

A recent survey revealed that 81 percent of households with schoolchildren receiving a monthly broadband subsidy are worried about the prospect of losing this assistance and its potential effects on their children's education, according to the Universal Service Administrative Company. These metrics “demonstrate with incredible clarity just how important it is to stay connected in modern life and how dangerous it is to threaten disconnection,” said Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

Commissioner Starks Joins Congressional Black Caucus Chair Horsford To Advocate for ACP

Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford (D-NV-04) visited the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority to hear from residents and state and local officials about the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)’s positive impact on closing the digital divide and the need for Congress to continue the program.

Commissioner Gomez's ACP Remarks at State of the Net

Considering this is the 20th anniversary of State of the Net, I think it’s worth noting one constant: we have had a digital divide that separates the connected haves from the connected have-nots in our country.  Another constant going back decades is a shared recognition that, unless and until we bridge that divide, we will not fulfill the promise of the Internet age for our economy and our society.  In 2024, that digital divide persists. But let me tell you what’s changed.  Like never before, closing America’s digital divide is within our reach.  And that’s not by accident.

NTCA CEO Sees Congress in “Disarray”: Providers Should Remind Them What They Need to Get Done

Congress is “in disarray right now,” said Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association, in an address at NTCA’s annual RTIME conference in Tampa. Bloomfield urged NTCA’s members attending the conference to remind their elected officials that “It’s not about who’s winning and who’s losing; it’s about getting things done.” Bloomfield pointed to several open issues facing Congress that will impact rural providers and their communities.

National Day of Action Spurs 280,000+ Calls, Emails, and Tweets to Save Critical Broadband Subsidy

Americans made more than 280,000 calls, emails, and social media posts to Congress in support of funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The program needs $7 billion in funding from Congress to ensure people aren’t disconnected from the internet in 2024. Don’t Disconnect US Day, which took place on January 25, spurred those who care about affordable internet to contact their congressional representatives. The resulting actions from supporters calling for Congress to fund the program included:

Child Safety Hearing: Senators Say Tech Platforms Hurt Children

CEO's from Meta, Snap, X, TikTok, and Discord testified in a contentious and emotional Senate hearing on child online safety. Lawmakers invoked the stories of online child abuse victims—many of whom sat directly behind the tech leaders—to issue a stunning rebuke to Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and other executives.