WTA Files Comments on Proposed Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund

On Jan. 25, WTA filed comments with the FCC in response to the FCC’s Jan. 4 Public Notice seeking comment on establishing the Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund, which was created by Congress at the end of 2020.

As stated in its comment, WTA believes that “in light of the short time period available to design the EBCF program and distribute its support funds, it makes good sense to rely upon established and tested Lifeline mechanisms and regulations as much as possible rather than trying to ‘re-invent the wheel’ with little or no time to consider potential problems and consequences.”

WTA supports the goal of the EBCF program to help low-income American families facing severe financial difficulties to obtain discounts needed to afford essential broadband services during the remainder of the COVID-19 pandemic.” WTA is also “particularly interested in the steps that the Commission will take to provide sufficient advance notice that EBCF program funding is exhausted and its discounts are ending as well as to help participating service providers reduce customer dissatisfaction and disruptions if the program is of short duration and/or ends abruptly.”