FCC to Collect Data from ISPs on ACP Plans

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The FCC will collect data describing all internet service plans subscribed to by households enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Providers must submit this information to the Commission annually.

Providers must also submit plan characteristics, including speed, latency, and bundle details. They need to include a unique identifier associated with a broadband label if applicable, as well as certain aggregated plan enrollment subscriber data.

Through the Infrastructure Law, Congress required the agency to collect this data. “To find out whether this program is working as Congress intended, we need to know who is participating, and how they are using the benefit,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “The data we collect will help us know where we are, and where we need to go. We’re also standardizing the way we collect data, and looking for other ways to paint a fuller picture of how many eligible households are participating in the ACP.”

ACP providers must submit data on price, plan coverage, and plan characteristics of their broadband internet services subscribed to by ACP-enrolled households. In a Further Notice, the FCC seeks comment on subscriber enrollment data, digital divide metrics, metrics related to low-income plan and connected device offerings, and on the merits and burdens associated with the collection of subscriber level information. The agency also seeks input on whether it should collect information related to the digital divide, including whether an ACP subscriber is a first-time or existing broadband subscriber or subscribes to multiple plans.

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