The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC or Commission) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking comment on rules for collecting data on the price and subscription rates of internet service offerings received by households enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP provides a benefit of up to $30 per month, and a one-time discount of up to $100 for a tablet, laptop, or desktop, to qualifying low-income households. As of May 16, 2022, there were over 11.8 million households enrolled in the ACP.
The NPRM seeks comment about how the FCC will fulfill a transparency requirement in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Infrastructure Act) to collect and publish price and subscription data about ACP subscribers while protecting personally identifiable or proprietary information. The NPRM proposes to collect information through the National Lifeline Accountability Database to minimize burdens on households and participating providers. The NPRM also seeks comment on the interplay between the ACP transparency data collection and the broadband consumer labels the FCC also is adopting pursuant to the Infrastructure Act.
Comments and Reply Comments will be due 30 and 45 days, respectively, after the NPRM is published in the Federal Register.
