What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
Preparing for the End of the Affordable Connectivity Program in New York City
The Affordable Connectivity Program has 23 million participants nationwide—including 1.9 million households in New York State and nearly 1 million households in New York City. As broadband access becomes increasingly essential for connecting with education, employment, and services—and New Yorkers grapple with a widespread affordability crisis—New York can’t afford to reverse course on making broadband more affordable. Congress still has time to act in May to reauthorize funding for the ACP and New York’s congressional delegation should lead the charge.
Joanne Hovis will be providing an inside look at the $42B NTIA BEAD funding timelines for states and how these state programs are coming together.
Lawmakers Make Final $7 Billion Push to Save $30 Monthly Internet Discounts
Backers of a popular subsidy for Americans’ monthly internet bills are making last-minute appeals to leaders to keep the program funded, with Senate proponents hoping to attach the measure to a pending federal aviation bill set to pass Congress soon. The more than 22 million low-income households enrolled in the Affor
Internet assistance program cuts subsidy payments ahead of funding draught
Regulators and members of the telecom industry are ratcheting up the pressure on Congress to renew an expiring internet subsidy program, which just downgraded its monthly subsidies from $30 to $14 as it enters its final month of operation. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) will fully cease providing financial support at the end of May if lawmakers fail to imbue the program with new funds. If nothing changes, more than three-quarters of participating households said they’ll have to change their internet plan or forgo service entirely, according to a Federal Communications Commission
Congress, Call a Vote on the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act
Speaker Johnson, it is time to call a vote. In less than four weeks, over 23 million U.S.
Would You Like a Little Competition with Your Broadband?
On June 6, initial comments are due in the Federal Communications Commission's recurring proceeding that assesses the state of competition in the communications marketplace, including broadband. In its last Communications Marketplace Report, published in December 2022, the FCC pointed to the potential for more competitive broadband markets.
Georgia's Digital Connectivity Plan, recently approved by the NTIA, anticipates over $22 million in funding to facilitate significant connectivity and digital skills enhancements. This webinar will clarify your role within this expanded framework and ensure you are fully prepared to engage with upcoming State Capacity Grant opportunities.
Millions of Americans are about to lose internet access, and Congress is to blame
The Affordable Connectivity Program is about to run out—and Congress is watching it happen. When the ACP was created in 2021 as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the $14.2 billion Congress allocated was expected to last five years. But demand for the benefit was so high that in January the Federal Communications Commission announced the program would be winding down at the end of April, after just three years.
The hearing will focus on the importance of data security, and how to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and accessibility of consumer data and safeguard data against unauthorized access, including through data minimization and robust data security practices.
Witnesses
- James E. Lee, COO, Identity Theft Resource Center
- Sam Kaplan, Director and Senior Global Policy Counsel, Palo Alto Networks
- Prem Trivedi, Policy Director, New America’s Open Technology Institute
Witness list subject to change.
Balancing E-Rate Funding and Social Media Access in Schools
Congress is currently deliberating changes to the E-rate program, and one proposal has raised eyebrows: requiring schools to ban social media access over their networks as a condition for receiving E-rate funding. While the intention—to protect children from social media risks—is commendable, we have reservations about using the E-rate program as a lever to address this issue.