FCC Takes the Wraps Off Affordable Broadband Rule

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel issued a draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Friday for the $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program; it’s based on directives in the infrastructure bill signed into law in mid-November. The program provides broadband service credits of up to $30 per month for eligible households and up to $75 a month for households on tribal lands. It also provides households a one-time payment of $100 to go toward certain connected devices, such as a computer or tablet. The draft rule explains how the additional $14.2 billion provided in the infrastructure bill would be used to transition a temporary COVID-era initiative into a longer-term broadband affordability program, notes Politico. Continue Reading