In today’s world, broadband access is as fundamental as electricity. Under the Biden Administration, Pennsylvania has received significant federal funding for broadband to eliminate digital disparities. This initiative has been crucial, especially when 270,000 areas failed to meet basic internet standards, affecting access to essential services like telehealth, education, and government services.
The bipartisan Infrastructure Bill has facilitated vital programs like the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD), Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), and various digital equity grants, which are pivotal in bridging these gaps.
However, a new proposal by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ban bulk billing for internet agreements seriously threatens this progress. Bulk billing, where a provider offers a discounted rate per-subscription to provide internet to entire housing complexes, homeowners associations (HOAs), affordable housing complexes, or broadly, multi-tenant living communities, has been instrumental in making internet access more affordable, especially in the Commonwealth.
The FCC must align its policies with the ongoing federal initiatives that have begun to address our digital divide successfully.
From my experience in community engagement and capital management for recreational development in underserved neighborhoods, I know firsthand that these types of partnerships are crucial for local governments to provide essential services, let alone ensure that Americans have a basic connection to the internet.
To deliver broadband connectivity to affordable housing residents, some local governments have relied on bulk billing partnerships with providers. In these cases, a local government may partner with a provider to ensure that all residents in these facilities receive broadband services at a drastically reduced price, if not for free. However, a bulk billing ban would take these much-needed partnerships off the table.
The Biden administration has rightly focused on removing “junk fees” to protect consumers. I believe the FCC’s proposal tries to support that effort by going after a small minority of landlords who misuse bulk billing to profit off of tenants through hidden fees, but this blanket ban is too broad, and actually contradicts the Biden Administration’s efforts by limiting a proven solution that has extended more affordable access to numerous Americans.
The timing of the FCC’s proposal could not be more inopportune. With the ACP in danger of expiring in the coming weeks, broadband costs will soon go up significantly for over 23 million American households. Taking bulk billing away will compound that already troubling development in our national effort to get more underserved communities online.
I urge the FCC to reconsider this proposal. Americans living on a fixed-income cannot afford this setback, especially as we navigate the end of programs that promote digital equity. Maintaining and enhancing measures supporting affordable housing and ensuring comprehensive broadband access for all is critical.
The FCC must align its policies with the ongoing federal initiatives that have begun to address our digital divide successfully. As we continue to advocate for equitable internet access, particularly in affordable housing, it is imperative that we build on the progress made, not dismantle the tools that have proven effective.
Jason Dawkins is a state representative for the 179th District in Northeast Philadelphia.
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