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#affordableconnectivityprogram

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Shingo Mouse 🌳

#Economy #EconomicPolicy #CivilRights #AffordableConnectivityProgram #Petition Expand Affordable Internet Access
actionnetwork.org/petitions/ex

actionnetwork.orgExpand Affordable Internet Access The Federal Communications Commission recently announced the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program, which helped low-income Americans get online. With the increasing reliance on digital platforms for education, work, and essential services, the gap left by the FCC’s decision is a direct blow to economic equity and democratic participation. This abrupt end to affordable internet access disproportionately impacts low-income and underserved communities, exacerbating economic disparity, racial injustice, and the marginalization of immigrants. We must act now to demand the reinstatement or replacement of this vital program. In today's world, internet access is not a luxury—it's a necessity. Without it, millions will struggle to keep up, deepening the chasms of inequality. Accessing information, applying for jobs, and participating in civic activities hinges on having access to the internet. By cutting off this access, we are eroding the very foundations of our democracy. The termination of this program is a stark reminder that we must continue to fight for equitable digital access. Together, we can restore affordable internet access and ensure everyone has the tools to succeed in a connected world. Join us in telling the FCC and our policymakers that affordable internet is essential for all Americans.
Shingo Mouse 🌳

#Economy #EconomicPolicy #CivilRights #AffordableConnectivityProgram #Petition Expand Affordable Internet Access
actionnetwork.org/petitions/ex

actionnetwork.orgExpand Affordable Internet Access The Federal Communications Commission recently announced the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program, which helped low-income Americans get online. With the increasing reliance on digital platforms for education, work, and essential services, the gap left by the FCC’s decision is a direct blow to economic equity and democratic participation. This abrupt end to affordable internet access disproportionately impacts low-income and underserved communities, exacerbating economic disparity, racial injustice, and the marginalization of immigrants. We must act now to demand the reinstatement or replacement of this vital program. In today's world, internet access is not a luxury—it's a necessity. Without it, millions will struggle to keep up, deepening the chasms of inequality. Accessing information, applying for jobs, and participating in civic activities hinges on having access to the internet. By cutting off this access, we are eroding the very foundations of our democracy. The termination of this program is a stark reminder that we must continue to fight for equitable digital access. Together, we can restore affordable internet access and ensure everyone has the tools to succeed in a connected world. Join us in telling the FCC and our policymakers that affordable internet is essential for all Americans.
Shingo Mouse 🌳

#Economy #EconomicPolicy #CivilRights #AffordableConnectivityProgram #Petition Expand Affordable Internet Access
actionnetwork.org/petitions/ex

actionnetwork.orgExpand Affordable Internet Access The Federal Communications Commission recently announced the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program, which helped low-income Americans get online. With the increasing reliance on digital platforms for education, work, and essential services, the gap left by the FCC’s decision is a direct blow to economic equity and democratic participation. This abrupt end to affordable internet access disproportionately impacts low-income and underserved communities, exacerbating economic disparity, racial injustice, and the marginalization of immigrants. We must act now to demand the reinstatement or replacement of this vital program. In today's world, internet access is not a luxury—it's a necessity. Without it, millions will struggle to keep up, deepening the chasms of inequality. Accessing information, applying for jobs, and participating in civic activities hinges on having access to the internet. By cutting off this access, we are eroding the very foundations of our democracy. The termination of this program is a stark reminder that we must continue to fight for equitable digital access. Together, we can restore affordable internet access and ensure everyone has the tools to succeed in a connected world. Join us in telling the FCC and our policymakers that affordable internet is essential for all Americans.
Shingo Mouse 🌳

#Economy #EconomicPolicy #CivilRights #AffordableConnectivityProgram #Petition Expand Affordable Internet Access
actionnetwork.org/petitions/ex

actionnetwork.orgExpand Affordable Internet Access The Federal Communications Commission recently announced the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program, which helped low-income Americans get online. With the increasing reliance on digital platforms for education, work, and essential services, the gap left by the FCC’s decision is a direct blow to economic equity and democratic participation. This abrupt end to affordable internet access disproportionately impacts low-income and underserved communities, exacerbating economic disparity, racial injustice, and the marginalization of immigrants. We must act now to demand the reinstatement or replacement of this vital program. In today's world, internet access is not a luxury—it's a necessity. Without it, millions will struggle to keep up, deepening the chasms of inequality. Accessing information, applying for jobs, and participating in civic activities hinges on having access to the internet. By cutting off this access, we are eroding the very foundations of our democracy. The termination of this program is a stark reminder that we must continue to fight for equitable digital access. Together, we can restore affordable internet access and ensure everyone has the tools to succeed in a connected world. Join us in telling the FCC and our policymakers that affordable internet is essential for all Americans.
Shingo Mouse 🌳

#Economy #EconomicPolicy #CivilRights #AffordableConnectivityProgram #Petition Expand Affordable Internet Access
actionnetwork.org/petitions/ex

actionnetwork.orgExpand Affordable Internet Access The Federal Communications Commission recently announced the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program, which helped low-income Americans get online. With the increasing reliance on digital platforms for education, work, and essential services, the gap left by the FCC’s decision is a direct blow to economic equity and democratic participation. This abrupt end to affordable internet access disproportionately impacts low-income and underserved communities, exacerbating economic disparity, racial injustice, and the marginalization of immigrants. We must act now to demand the reinstatement or replacement of this vital program. In today's world, internet access is not a luxury—it's a necessity. Without it, millions will struggle to keep up, deepening the chasms of inequality. Accessing information, applying for jobs, and participating in civic activities hinges on having access to the internet. By cutting off this access, we are eroding the very foundations of our democracy. The termination of this program is a stark reminder that we must continue to fight for equitable digital access. Together, we can restore affordable internet access and ensure everyone has the tools to succeed in a connected world. Join us in telling the FCC and our policymakers that affordable internet is essential for all Americans.
Shingo Mouse 🌳

#Economy #EconomicPolicy #CivilRights #AffordableConnectivityProgram #Petition Expand Affordable Internet Access
actionnetwork.org/petitions/ex

actionnetwork.orgExpand Affordable Internet Access The Federal Communications Commission recently announced the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program, which helped low-income Americans get online. With the increasing reliance on digital platforms for education, work, and essential services, the gap left by the FCC’s decision is a direct blow to economic equity and democratic participation. This abrupt end to affordable internet access disproportionately impacts low-income and underserved communities, exacerbating economic disparity, racial injustice, and the marginalization of immigrants. We must act now to demand the reinstatement or replacement of this vital program. In today's world, internet access is not a luxury—it's a necessity. Without it, millions will struggle to keep up, deepening the chasms of inequality. Accessing information, applying for jobs, and participating in civic activities hinges on having access to the internet. By cutting off this access, we are eroding the very foundations of our democracy. The termination of this program is a stark reminder that we must continue to fight for equitable digital access. Together, we can restore affordable internet access and ensure everyone has the tools to succeed in a connected world. Join us in telling the FCC and our policymakers that affordable internet is essential for all Americans.
Rob Pegoraro

The end of May coinciding with the end of a four-day workweek was a pleasant bonus of Memorial Day’s spot on the calendar this year. Another bonus: I had my last client-paid copy for the month filed by 2:09 p.m. Friday.

Patreon readers got one other post, a rant about the woeful UX of a Hilton offer for double points on upcoming hotel stays. That didn’t get published until almost 9 p.m. on Friday–which is still a lot better than the filing frenzy I’ve exhibited in the final minutes of the final days of other months.

5/28/2024: T-Mobile to Buy Regional Carrier UScellular, PCMag

I didn’t notice the name on the credit of the photo of a T-Mobile flag on a golf course that I’d selected from Getty Images to illustrate this post until I copied that metadata to paste into PCMag’s CMS. That’s when I realized that my Georgetown Voice friend Darren Carroll, a seriously talented photographer, had taken that shot during an idle moment at a golf tournament sponsored by the carrier.

Screenshot

5/28/2024: A Lot of Websites Ask You About Cookies. How Should You Answer?, AARP

My editor at AARP asked if I could write an explainer about those dialogs you see on so many pages that suggest, ask, implore or assume that you’re okay with the site–and, in most cases, advertising networks–writing information about your visit to small text files saved on your device. After talking to numerous experts, I continue to think that your best response to those dialogs, should you not want to be tracked by advertisers, is to use a browser like Apple’s Safari, Microsoft’s Edge and Mozilla’s Firefox that will block ad-network trackers by default.

5/29/2024: Verizon Enlists AST SpaceMobile to Kill Off Its US Dead Zones, PCMag

Verizon’s apparent disinterest in using low-Earth-orbit satellites to provide at least emergency-level coverage in dead zones was looking increasingly weird. Then the carrier signed up the same satellite operator as AT&T to provide that backup connectivity, although it seems to be more conservative in its sales pitch than AT&T.

5/30/2024: Android Update Will Let You Fix Dumb Texting Typos (to Other Android Users), PCMag

I’ve yet to get the update to Google’s Messages app that enables this editing of sent RCS messages–assuming the recipients also have the same update installed–so I cannot yet report on how satisfying it might feel to fix a text typo.

5/30/2024: IRS Direct File App to Return for 2025, Welcome Taxpayers in More States, PCMag

This was one bit of news that I didn’t expect to see coming this week, but with the information-security conference I was attending not yielding any obvious breaking news, I jumped on the chance to write this up instead. And to point out to readers that while the IRS may call this rollout of its free tax-prep app “permanent,” you have to expect that voters returning convicted felon Donald Trump to the White House would soon be followed by Trump scrapping this program.

5/31/2024: FCC: It’s Game Over for Affordable Broadband Connectivity Program, PCMag

The official end of the ACP and the $30 monthly discounts on broadband it provided for more than 20 million American households led to my editors asking me to cover this program one more time.

https://robpegoraro.com/2024/06/02/weekly-output-t-mobile-buys-much-of-uscellular-cookie-permissions-dialogs-verizon-taps-ast-spacemobile-android-update-irs-keeps-direct-file-affordable-connectivity-program-ends/

#ACP#AffordableConnectivityProgram#AndroidFeatureDrop
Rob Pegoraro

This week starts with the wireless trade group CTIA’s 5G Summit on Monday but otherwise doesn’t have too much in the way of appointments or deadlines–which after the end-of-the-month crush last week feels like a real treat.

(Speaking of stories written in the last hours of April, I wrote a post for Patreon readers Tuesday about the unpredictable nature of WordAds income here.)

4/29/2024: FCC Fines Wireless Carriers Almost $200 Million for Careless Sale of Location Data, PCMag

That number in the headline requires the context of the billions of dollars in profit each of the big three carriers reported for the first quarter of 2024, so I made sure to include that. We then updated the post after publication with a statement from AT&T decrying the FCC’s action; Jon Brodkin’s post at Ars Technica includes comparable responses from T-Mobile and Verizon.

4/30/2024: Congress Votes to Strengthen Measures Against Online Child Sexual Exploitation, PCMag

Congress passing any substantive bill ranks as news these days, but a bill addressing a tech-policy problem from hell is even more newsworthy–even if this bill doesn’t include added funding to help attack this problem.

5/1/2024: Your Home Internet Bill Can Be Deceptively Confusing. Now It’s (Slightly) Easier to Understand., Wirecutter

Wirecutter asked me to write an explainer of the broadband-facts labels that the Federal Communications Commission now requires Internet providers to post, and I said I’d be delighted to help after covering this issue multiple times over the last two years. Then after I asked Comcast about criticisms of its implementation of the label, the company added a modem-rental fee that it had left out in some situations. (You’re welcome.)

5/1/2024: T-Mobile Completes Mint Mobile Deal, Promises New Perks for Mint Users, PCMag

Shout out to my editor for spotting the Wall Street Journal’s report that actor and part owner of Mint Mobile Ryan Reynolds should make about $300 million from this completed transaction, then adding a link to the WSJ story in this piece.

5/2/2024: Congress Makes Last-Ditch Effort to Save Low-Cost Broadband Program, PCMag

I wrote about two bills that seem like they might have better-than-usual odds of reviving the Affordable Connectivity Program: one that would restore the FCC spectrum-auction authority that Congress inexplicably let lapse last March and devote some of the resulting proceeds to the ACP, another that would expand the FCC’s Universal Service Fund by requiring broadband providers and large online platforms to contribute (an idea that I’ve seen both Democrats and Republicans endorse) and plow that new revenue into the ACP.

https://robpegoraro.com/2024/05/05/weekly-output-fcc-fines-wireless-carriers-report-act-broadband-labels-t-mobile-now-owns-mint-mobile-affordable-connectivity-program-rescue-options/

www.ctia.orgCTIA - HomeCTIA represents the U.S. wireless communications industry and companies throughout the mobile ecosystem.
#ACP#AffordableConnectivityProgram#broadbandLabels
Shingo Mouse 🌳

#Economy #EconomicPolicy #CivilRights #AffordableConnectivityProgram #TakeAction! | Tell Congress: Fund the Affordable Connectivity Program and keep the internet accessible for low-income households
actionnetwork.org/letters/tell

actionnetwork.orgTell Congress: Fund the Affordable Connectivity Program and keep the internet accessible for low-income households Over 22 million low-income American households are at risk of losing internet access starting this month if Congress doesn’t move quickly and renew funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)―a popular program aimed at reducing the digital divide between those who can afford broadband access and those who cannot. The ACP was passed in 2021 as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Its purpose is to provide households with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty line (or about $30,000 for a single adult) with a monthly stipend of $30 (up to $75 for Native people living on Tribal lands) to help ensure internet access to all. The ACP has strong bipartisan and bicameral support. In January U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), JD Vance (R-Ohio), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and U.S. Representatives Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) introduced the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, which would provide $7 billion in funding for the ACP. The results of not renewing funding for the ACP will be devastating for vulnerable people and communities. In 2019, 18% of Native people living on Tribal land had no access to the internet; 33% relied on cell phone service for the internet; and 39% had spotty or no connection to the internet at home on their smart phone. But through the ACP, 320,000 households on tribal lands gained low-cost broadband access. Lack of access and training on using computers and the internet will have devastating impacts on Native, Black, and Hispanic communities as technology becomes increasingly integral to work, education, health, and our everyday lives. The ACP has made a difference: 1 in 4 Black and Latino households are now enrolled. Without moves to address tech inequality, low-income communities and communities of color were seen to be heading towards an “unemployment abyss.” Legislation to renew funding for the ACP would easily pass both chambers of Congress, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to bring it up for a vote. This is especially remarkable, because 29% of his own district’s constituents are enrolled in the program. Congress must prioritize this crucial lifeline or else force millions of households already on tight budgets to choose between being able to stay online or potentially losing access to this essential service. Click “Start Writing” to send a direct message to Congress, demanding they renew funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program and expand internet access.
Rob Pegoraro

I’m flying to Brazil tonight for Web Summit Rio, where I’ll be doing an onstage interview Thursday. Unlike last year’s trip to Rio de Janeiro, this one has much less free time–I’ll basically have only the end of Monday afternoon to myself before spending Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at this conference and then spending Friday on a series of airplanes–but the extra time with my family is worth it. And I know the yard looks better after the attention I was able to give it yesterday.

4/10/2024: Experts: Here’s Why Age-Verification Rules for Social Media Won’t Work, PCMag

I was going to write this at the end of the previous week but got sidetracked by the crazy story of Meta’s content-moderation machinery going rogue in a way that looked very much like the company suppressing hostile press coverage. And then I had my trip to Dallas to see the eclipse distract me further.

4/11/2024: Android 15 Steps Closer to Shipping With App-Focused Beta Release, PCMag

After Google PR provided me with an embargoed copy of its announcement in advance, I wrote a quick post about the beta release of the next version of Android.

4/12/2024: White House to Congress: Stop Stalling and Fund This Critical Broadband Program, PCMag

The White House’s press office noticed the piece I wrote for AARP in February about the impending demise of the Affordable Connectivity Program and asked if I’d like to interview one of their policy staffers. Originally, that person was going to be Tom Perez, director of intergovernmental affairs, but a schedule conflict led me to talking to Jon Donenberg, deputy director of the National Economic Council, Friday afternoon.

https://robpegoraro.com/2024/04/14/weekly-output-age-verification-rules-android-15-beta-affordable-connectivity-program/

#ACP#AffordableConnectivityProgram#ageVerification
Shingo Mouse 🌳

#Economy #EconomicPolicy #CivilRights #AffordableConnectivityProgram #TakeAction! | Tell Congress: Fund the Affordable Connectivity Program and keep the internet accessible for low-income households
actionnetwork.org/letters/tell

actionnetwork.orgTell Congress: Fund the Affordable Connectivity Program and keep the internet accessible for low-income households Over 22 million low-income American households are at risk of losing internet access starting this month if Congress doesn’t move quickly and renew funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)―a popular program aimed at reducing the digital divide between those who can afford broadband access and those who cannot. The ACP was passed in 2021 as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Its purpose is to provide households with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty line (or about $30,000 for a single adult) with a monthly stipend of $30 (up to $75 for Native people living on Tribal lands) to help ensure internet access to all. The ACP has strong bipartisan and bicameral support. In January U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), JD Vance (R-Ohio), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and U.S. Representatives Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) introduced the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, which would provide $7 billion in funding for the ACP. The results of not renewing funding for the ACP will be devastating for vulnerable people and communities. In 2019, 18% of Native people living on Tribal land had no access to the internet; 33% relied on cell phone service for the internet; and 39% had spotty or no connection to the internet at home on their smart phone. But through the ACP, 320,000 households on tribal lands gained low-cost broadband access. Lack of access and training on using computers and the internet will have devastating impacts on Native, Black, and Hispanic communities as technology becomes increasingly integral to work, education, health, and our everyday lives. The ACP has made a difference: 1 in 4 Black and Latino households are now enrolled. Without moves to address tech inequality, low-income communities and communities of color were seen to be heading towards an “unemployment abyss.” Legislation to renew funding for the ACP would easily pass both chambers of Congress, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to bring it up for a vote. This is especially remarkable, because 29% of his own district’s constituents are enrolled in the program. Congress must prioritize this crucial lifeline or else force millions of households already on tight budgets to choose between being able to stay online or potentially losing access to this essential service. Click “Start Writing” to send a direct message to Congress, demanding they renew funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program and expand internet access.
Shingo Mouse 🌳

#Economy #EconomicPolicy #CivilRights #AffordableConnectivityProgram #TakeAction! | Tell Congress: Fund the Affordable Connectivity Program and keep the internet accessible for low-income households
actionnetwork.org/letters/tell

actionnetwork.orgTell Congress: Fund the Affordable Connectivity Program and keep the internet accessible for low-income households Over 22 million low-income American households are at risk of losing internet access starting this month if Congress doesn’t move quickly and renew funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)―a popular program aimed at reducing the digital divide between those who can afford broadband access and those who cannot. The ACP was passed in 2021 as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Its purpose is to provide households with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty line (or about $30,000 for a single adult) with a monthly stipend of $30 (up to $75 for Native people living on Tribal lands) to help ensure internet access to all. The ACP has strong bipartisan and bicameral support. In January U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), JD Vance (R-Ohio), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and U.S. Representatives Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) introduced the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, which would provide $7 billion in funding for the ACP. The results of not renewing funding for the ACP will be devastating for vulnerable people and communities. In 2019, 18% of Native people living on Tribal land had no access to the internet; 33% relied on cell phone service for the internet; and 39% had spotty or no connection to the internet at home on their smart phone. But through the ACP, 320,000 households on tribal lands gained low-cost broadband access. Lack of access and training on using computers and the internet will have devastating impacts on Native, Black, and Hispanic communities as technology becomes increasingly integral to work, education, health, and our everyday lives. The ACP has made a difference: 1 in 4 Black and Latino households are now enrolled. Without moves to address tech inequality, low-income communities and communities of color were seen to be heading towards an “unemployment abyss.” Legislation to renew funding for the ACP would easily pass both chambers of Congress, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to bring it up for a vote. This is especially remarkable, because 29% of his own district’s constituents are enrolled in the program. Congress must prioritize this crucial lifeline or else force millions of households already on tight budgets to choose between being able to stay online or potentially losing access to this essential service. Click “Start Writing” to send a direct message to Congress, demanding they renew funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program and expand internet access.
readbeanicecream

We need a permanent solution for universal broadband access

The Affordable Connectivity Program, which subsidizes internet access for low-income households, is set to run out of money by the end of the month.

theverge.com/2024/4/5/24121022

The Verge · The Affordable Connectivity Program is about to run out, but low-income Americans still need internetBy Gigi Sohn
#technology#tech#web
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