The Biden Administration has requested Congress to provide supplemental funding to support some critical domestic programs, including a few broadband related programs. Specifically, the Biden Administration’s funding request asks for $6 billion to sustain the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program and $3.08 billion to cover the funding shortfall for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program. The ACP, which was established as a successor program to the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, was created to provide monthly subsidies of $30 per month for low-income households. By estimations the ACP will run out of funding by mid-2024 without additional funding being appropriated.
When Congress appropriated $1.9 billion for the Reimbursement Program, funding estimates did not contemplate the expansion of eligibility to cover more providers and the full range of costs that would be reimbursable. Thus, the FCC now requires approximately $5.3 billion to fully fund all eligible participants to replace their network with secure equipment and services.
