The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau has officially announced 34 participants in two of the four pilot programs aimed at providing outreach and applications assistance for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
The two programs are the Your Home, Your Internet Pilot Program and the ACP Navigator Pilot Program. The former provides ACP outreach and application support to recipients of federal housing assistance. The latter provides selected entities access to the National Verifier to aid low-income households to complete and submit their ACP applications.
ACP is a $14.2 billion FCC benefit program designed to help ensure that qualifying low-income households can afford broadband. It pays up to $30 a month for low-income households toward the cost of broadband service.
On March 15, the FCC announced 23 participants in the Your Home, Your Internet Pilot Program. Nine were named to the ACP Navigator Pilot Program with two – the Baltimore County Public Library and Florida Atlantic University – added later.
Those selected will have a one-year “period of performance.” They will receive relevant information, training and other materials. Those in the programs without grant assistance will be required to submit the same data as those that receive funding.
The final list for the Your Home, Your Internet Pilot Program includes entities from 19 states. Four states (California, Illinois, Maryland and Texas) have two entities. The ACP Navigator Pilot Program has entities from 10 states, with Maryland logging in with two.
Last November, the FCC created four complementary grant programs to promote the ACP: The Your Home, Your Internet Pilot Program, the ACP Navigator Pilot Program, the National Competitive Outreach Program and the Tribal Competitive Outreach Program.
In March, the FCC granted $60 million for the National Competitive Outreach Program and $6 million for the Tribal Competitive Outreach Program. On the same day, the FCC said a proposal had been circulated for a second “more targeted” notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the two programs.
About a week later, the FCC allocated $7.445 million for the other two programs. Just under $5 million ($4.995 million) was awarded in the Your Home, Your Internet program and $2.449 million was awarded in the ACP Navigator Pilot Program.
Updated to state that the ACP Navigator Pilot Program awarded $2.449 million in the March 15 news at the last link in the post
