The federal government spends tens of billions of dollars every year pursuing universal access to high-quality, next-generation, affordable broadband services, even before Congress appropriated hundreds of billions more in the American Rescue Act Plan of 2021. We help clients navigate the ins and outs of these funding programs, both advocating strategically to align public interest goals with our client’s needs and advising on regulatory strategies and compliance approaches.
Our expertise extends across all of the FCC’s primary universal service programs, including those addressing high-cost areas, low-income consumers, schools, libraries, and healthcare providers, as well as federal grant and loan programs operated by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Services (RUS) technology loan and grant programs, including:
- The FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund reverse auctions and other broadband deployment programs
- The Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) and Lifeline programs, which make broadband affordable to low-income consumers
- E-rate and the Emergency Connectivity Fund, focused on helping schools, libraries, and students afford broadband for on-campus and remote learning
- The FCC’s Rural Healthcare Support Mechanisms, including the Telecommunications Program, Healthcare Connect Fund, and Connected Care Pilot programs.
- NTIA’s new Broadband Infrastructure Program, Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, and Connecting Minority Communities Program
- RUS grant and loan programs, including the Broadband ReConnect Program, Community Connect Grants, Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants, and others.