Benton Institute for Broadband & Society - Lifeline/Low-Income Consumers

https://www.benton.org/blog/future-universal-service-still-future

Author:

John Horrigan

Send date:

Tue, 11/29/2022

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Daily Digest 11/28/2022

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Tue, 11/29/2022

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Research

The Future of Universal Service is Still in the Future

benton — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 11:20:32 +0000

When it comes to broadband, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is about more than money. For example, Congress also directed the Federal Communications Commission to consider the impact of the law's $65 billion broadband investment on the FCC's existing broadband support programs under the umbrella of the Universal Service Fund (known to wonks as the USF). Congress asked for a report on the future of the USF including the FCC's options for improving its effectiveness in achieving the universal service goals for broadband in light of this COVID-era legislation including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Congress explicitly said that the FCC could make recommendations on further actions the Commission and Congress could take to improve the ability of the FCC to achieve the universal service goals for broadband, but the FCC could not make recommendations that in any way reduce the congressional mandate to achieve the universal service goals for broadband. Recommendations could expand the universal service goals for broadband, if the FCC believes such an expansion is in the public interest. The FCC sent that report to Congress this week and below we look at what the FCC is recommending about its universal goals for broadband, the four main USF programs, and how the USF is paid for.

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Benton Original Content

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The FCC releases the Report on the Future of the Universal Service Fund

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Community Anchor Institutions

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Fri, 08/19/2022

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Daily Digest 8/18/2022

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Fri, 08/19/2022

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Analysis

Libraries

Healthcare Facilities

Adoption

Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

Rural Health Care

E-rate/Schools and Libraries Program

5G Fund for Rural America

It is Time to Reimagine Lifeline

benton — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 12:31:49 +0000

Low-income households are spending too much on connectivity. Prior to the pandemic, the Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program supported mainly wireless communication services for low-income households; its $9.25/month subsidy resulting in service plans that restricted voice and data usage. To address Americans’ online connectivity needs during the pandemic, Congress directed the FCC to launch the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program—a historic expansion of financial support for universal service. With the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, EBB has transitioned to a longer-term Affordable Connectivity Program, a $30-per-month service subsidy for qualifying households. The Affordable Connectivity Program offers the opportunity to take a fresh look at policies to promote online access for low-income people in the United States. In Reimagining Lifeline: Universal Service, Affordability, and Connectivity, published by the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, I examine data about the tools typical American households have for accessing the internet and how affordable they are, and explore the administrative journey of Lifeline, which is all the more significant because the Universal Service Administrative Company, which administers the Lifeline program, will also administer the Affordable Connectivity Program.

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Benton Original Content

https://www.benton.org/blog/it-time-reimagine-lifeline

Teaser:

The new Affordable Connectivity Program, coupled with Lifeline, has the potential to deliver more equitable connectivity solutions to low-income households.

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Author:

John Horrigan

Send date:

Tue, 02/22/2022

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Daily Digest 2/18/2022

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Tue, 02/22/2022

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Competition/Antitrust

Research

Wireless Telecommunications

Wireless Internet

What's Next for the Affordable Connectivity Program?

Grace Tepper — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 23:29:40 +0000

As Congress found in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, access to affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband is essential to full participation in modern life in the United States. The aim of the Affordable Connectivity Program is to ensure broadband is affordable for any household no matter its income. Although the Federal Communications Commission has met an incredibly tight timeline to adopt rules and launch the new Affordable Connectivity Program, there is still a great deal of work to be done. Here's a quick look at what remains on the FCC's agenda.

[Kevin Taglang is Executive Editor at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society.]

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Benton Original Content

https://www.benton.org/blog/whats-next-affordable-connectivity-program

Teaser:

Although the Federal Communications Commission has met an incredibly tight timeline to adopt rules and launch the new Affordable Connectivity Program, there is still a great deal of work to be done.

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Sat, 01/22/2022

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Daily Digest 1/21/2022

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Fri, 01/21/2022

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https://www.benton.org/blog/introducing-affordable-connectivity-program

Introducing the Affordable Connectivity Program

Grace Tepper — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 23:03:37 +0000

Congress created the Affordable Connectivity Program through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, building on the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program created earlier in 2021. For the EBB Program, Congress provided the Federal Communications Commission with $3.2 billion to make monthly broadband service bills more affordable for low-income households. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act adds an additional $14.2 billion for the Affordable Connectivity Program, while leaving in place the EBB Program's basic framework. But the law also made some changes—to the benefit amount, rules regarding plan and subscriber eligibility, and providers’ public promotion obligations, among other modifications. On January 14, 2022, the FCC adopted rules for the Affordable Connectivity Program—here's what the new benefit will look like for consumers and providers.

[Kevin Taglang is Executive Editor at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society.]

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Benton Original Content

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The FCC adopted rules for the Affordable Connectivity Program—here's what the new benefit will look like for consumers and providers.

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Sat, 01/22/2022

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Daily Digest 1/21/2022

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Fri, 01/21/2022

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https://www.benton.org/blog/your-chance-weigh-future-universal-service-fund

Your Chance to Weigh in on the Future of the Universal Service Fund

benton — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 12:49:06 +0000

In November 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law the largest U.S. investment ever in broadband access, affordability, and adoption. With $65 billion flowing to broadband, Congress also asked the Federal Communications Commission to determine what impact the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will have in achieving universal service goals for broadband. This week, the FCC launched a proceeding seeking public comment on how to best make sure everyone in the U.S. can use broadband. Here's what you need to know if you'd like to help the FCC figure out the future of universal service.

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Benton Original Content

Teaser:

FCC launches proceeding on Universal Service Fund

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Fri, 12/17/2021

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Daily Digest 12/16/2021

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Fri, 12/17/2021

Coverage Type:

Analysis

Internet/Broadband

Adoption

Infrastructure

Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

Rural Health Care

E-rate/Schools and Libraries Program

An Evolving Level of Service

benton — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 12:11:49 +0000

How will the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act impact universal service policy and, specifically, the Lifeline program? The new law sets up a transition from the Emergency Broadband Benefit, a program that is only six months old, to the new, more permanent Affordable Connectivity Program. If fashioned to work in conjunction with Lifeline (used mainly for wireless phone service), low-income consumers could well have access to a level of digital connectivity most in the US depend on every day. Although universal service has traditionally meant telephone service—first traditional wireline and then wireless telephony, in 2016, the Federal Communications Commission explicitly said that “broadband has evolved into the essential communications medium of the digital economy.” Today, according to the Pew Research Center, 85% of Americans have a smartphone. And smartphone access goes hand-in-hand with wireline broadband subscriptions at home for most Americans. The norm for internet access is using Wi-Fi at home off of a wireline subscription for many data-intensive applications, thereby conserving data allotments in mobile broadband plans for use on-the-go.

[John Horrigan is a Benton Senior Fellow and a national expert on technology adoption, digital inclusion, and evaluating the outcomes and impacts of programs designed to promote communications technology adoption and use]

Benton Content:

Benton Original Content

https://www.benton.org/blog/evolving-level-service

Teaser:

How Lifeline and the New Affordable Connectivity Program Can Deliver the Broadband Low-Income Households Need

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Author:

John Horrigan

Send date:

Wed, 12/01/2021

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 11/30/2021

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Wed, 12/01/2021

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https://www.benton.org/blog/lifeline-needs-lifeline

Lifeline Needs A Lifeline

Grace Tepper — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 21:19:52 +0000

In less than three months, nearly 800,000 low-income people who receive telephone subsidies through the Universal Service Fund's Lifeline program will be negatively impacted by changes scheduled to go into effect at the Federal Communications Commission on December 1, 2021. The FCC needs to change course and help more Americans keep connected to communications services that are essential to navigate the ongoing public health and economic crisis. Most importantly, the FCC should act swiftly and hit the pause button on the 2016 plan to zero-out support for voice-only services. During the pandemic, the stakes are just too high for anyone to be disconnected from essential communications networks. Then the FCC should launch a new effort to reform and further modernize the Lifeline program, informed by what we've witnessed during COVID, and the findings in Grant Thornton's and the FCC's own recent review of the Lifeline program.

Lifeline needs to have foundational governance documents—such as strategic plans, performance objectives, and an integrated communications plan—to assist in the longitudinal success and guidance of the program.
The FCC has to consider raising Lifeline's monthly subsidy, $9.25, so it can make more meaningful services affordable for low-income families.
The FCC must adopt changes in the program so it better benefits the people it was created to connect. This includes understanding the composition of Lifeline households and the specific services they need, finding ways to improve program enrollment, and providing opportunities for consumer feedback.
Changes in the Lifeline program should encourage all telecommunications and broadband service providers to compete to serve low-income households in their service areas.
The FCC should also consider revising its measure of affordability of broadband for low-income consumers. We need the FCC to act now to keep everyone connected. And we need the FCC to update the Lifeline program so everyone can rely on a basic level of connectivity no matter how much income they have.

[Adrianne B. Furniss is the Executive Director of the Benton Foundation.]

Benton Content:

Benton Original Content

Teaser:

We need the FCC to update the Lifeline program so everyone can rely on a basic level of connectivity no matter how much income they have.

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Author:

Adrianne Furniss

Send date:

Thu, 09/23/2021

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 9/22/2021

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Publish Date:

Wed, 09/22/2021

Coverage Type:

Editorial

Upcoming policy issue

Coronavirus and Connectivity

Headlines Specific Topic:

How Do We Pay For Universal Service?

benton — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 11:30:43 +0000

As the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act awaits a vote in the House of Representatives later this month, a debate over the future of the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Fund (USF) is already starting. Provisions in the infrastructure bill call for the FCC to quickly complete an evaluation of how the legislation will impact how the FCC's achieves the goal of deploying broadband to all Americans. Congress wants to know how the FCC can be more effective in achieving this goal. One brewing USF issue is how we pay for it. A report released this week by the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, INCOMPAS, and NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association thoughtfully examines the issue.

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Benton Original Content

https://www.benton.org/blog/how-do-we-pay-universal-service

Teaser:

USForward: FCC Must Reform USF Contributions Now - An Analysis of the Options

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Send date:

Fri, 09/17/2021

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Daily Digest 9/16/2021

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Publish Date:

Fri, 09/17/2021

Coverage Type:

Analysis

Agenda

Upcoming policy issue

Internet/Broadband

Research

Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

Rural Health Care