Advocating for Consumers and Organizations Facing a Potential ACP Wind-Down

NDIA Files Letter with FCC Representing Its 1,500+ Affiliate Organizations

While continuing to fight for Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) funding, we must also prepare for a future without the program if Congress doesn’t act. We spoke with NDIA community members about what you need to help consumers transition off of ACP.  On January 8, NDIA officially filed a letter with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sharing your needs and requests and advocating for what consumers and organizations working with ACP recipients need in this challenging time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Our requests to the FCC: 

1. Enforce the consumer protections in the ACP Order, stating that service providers must obtain “affirmative opt-in, either orally or in writing, to continue providing the household broadband service after the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program.” The FCC’s wind-down order should reiterate this provision and include additional consumer protections, including a clear timeframe for written notices to consumers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
2. Require Internet Service Providers to inform participants of the program’s end 90, 60, and 30 days prior to its end.    
3. Create a comprehensive list of protections for public distribution. This should be published in a standalone document on the FCC’s website so consumers and advocates can easily find it. It should use plain language to help consumers self-advocate and also help organizations advocate on behalf of consumers.                                                                                 
4. Lead a public awareness campaign informing the public on the wind-down.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
5. Help ACP Outreach Grantees transition ACP sign-up outreach efforts to services that guide community members in changing to an alternative affordable plan. Without the resources to reach households directly impacted by the loss of ACP, grantees risk losing community trust, which may undermine the success of future broadband benefit programs.

The full letter can be found here: NDIA Letter RE: Affordable Connectivity Program Wind-Down (260 downloads )

NDIA community members can continue to follow ACP news in the community listserv or on the NDIA blog.