Affordable Connectivity Program

On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Consolidated Appropriations Act) was signed into law. Among other actions intended to provide relief during the pandemic, the Consolidated Appropriations Act established an Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund of $3.2 billion in the Treasury of the United States for the fiscal year 2021. The Act directed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) to use that fund to establish an Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB Program), under which eligible low-income households may receive a discount off the cost of broadband service and certain connected devices during an emergency period relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, and participating providers can receive a reimbursement for such discounts. The Commission voted to adopt the EBB Program rules, and pursuant to statutory requirements, the final order was adopted on February 25, 2021. The EBB Program launched on May 12, 2021. On November 15, 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Infrastructure Act) was signed into law. Pursuant to the Infrastructure Act, the Affordable Connectivity Program builds on the EBB Program by using new funding to provide discounted broadband service and connected devices to low-income households. The Infrastructure Act leaves the EBB Program’s basic framework in place, but it does make changes to the benefit amount, rules regarding plan and subscriber eligibility, and providers’ public promotion obligations, among other changes, and appropriates an additional $14.2 billion to implement those changes. The Commission adopted the Affordable Connectivity Program rules on January 14, 2022.