by Kayla Gebeck Carroll and Kenneth Parsons
Highlights
- The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) authorized a new long-term Affordable Connectivity Fund (ACF) to replace the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published the ACF Final Rule, which largely becomes effective on March 16, 2022.
- The maximum monthly benefit will change from per month to per month for households not located on qualifying tribal lands. The monthly benefit will remain at for households on qualifying tribal lands. In addition, eligible households can receive a one-time discount of up to 0 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer or a tablet.
- This Holland & Knight alert provides an overview for tribes to use when helping educate members of the opportunity.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published its Final Rule on Feb. 14, 2022, governing the Affordable Connectivity Fund (ACF), formerly known as the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB), a new long-term program aimed at increasing access to critical broadband infrastructure by focusing on affordability. The program provides benefits directly to eligible tribal members.
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