Internet access. [inaudible conversations] good morning. Good morning. Thank you so much for attending the encompass [inaudible] [inaudible conversations] good morning. There we go. Thank you so much for attending the policy summit. Im the president of incompand thrilled to see so many of you in the room and thrilled to be introduce our next speaker, fcc commissioner geoffrey stark. He is the biggest kansas city chief fan in the room. Oh, wait. [laughter] no, i got that wrong. No, its true. I dont know. I think maybe we should have a little showdown between Chris Shipley and commissioner, what do you think . [laughter] nick is here too. So, you know, weve got a couple of men in the audience that are just as a proud as the commissioner about the Kansas City Chiefs win in the super bowl. You know, i know when you have three wins in such a short time frame, the haters are gonna hat [laughter] but with i am not one of them. Okay . All right, no. In all seriousness, we are just so happy to have the commissioner back with us. Many of you know that he has been committed to bringing affordable, competitive Broadband Service to every american. At our policy summit last year, he was the very first fcc commissioner or to call for congress to extend affordable connectivity for ram funding which is absolutely critical to insure that the program that currently is serving over 23 million low income households to stay connected to broadband. Its scheduled to be out of funding in a very short time frame. The fcc just produced the Public Notice yesterday saying that the full funding will run i out in april, and only partial funding will be available in mate. I know hes going to talk more about this. Incompas supports Congress Moving forward with the bipartisan, bicameral acp extension act. We think this is so, so important. Lets give it up. [applause] i know many of you have been talking to the commissioner and his fantastic staff. Justin is here. I think there may have been a few other folks about what we can do to be helpful in calling for this additional funding. Theres a role for each of us in this room to be playing. Incompas is will be on the hill tomorrow meeting with so many officers, i cant remember the last count i saw. If youve not signed up for lobby day, you need to sign up for lobby day and help us with this big push. Its really so important. So, commissioner or stark, you saw [inaudible] so i think theres always been this close connection because he took her seat. And maybe you know that i worked for commissioner clyburn in the first part of the obama administration, so theres like a Family Connection mere. Here. And were just thrilled that youre here to talk to us about the great work that youve been doing. You have a fantastic z may. Even knows resume. Everybody know knows how much youre making a difference, and we want to say thank you for that, and we really look forward to hearing your comments. [applause] well, thank you, angie. Set the table right there between chiefs, acp and, of course; i am deeply honored, as ever, to have followed in the footsteps of commissioner clyburn and continue. Really these jobs are unique and the ability to serve, to serve the american people. And i have traveled the across the country on the issue that im going to talk about here today. But more than that, thrilled to return, join incompas policy summit here again this year. We truly do stand at a crossroads in the landscape of communications and digital equity. I believe that. And as we navigate the complexities of the 21st century, one thing has remained unchanged, and that is our commitment to insuring that every american everywhere regardless of where you live or how much you make has access to reliable, awe affordable highspeed internet. Access to the internet is not just a matter of convenience, its a fundamental issue of fairness. And and a necessity for participating in modern life. In many ways our Journey Towards a more connected,competitive and, wit bl future, i believe equitable future, i believe, is at a tipping point. Hard fought gains are at rusk of slipping backwards. I want to zero in on one place, as a ann a jihad mentioned, that is more true than ever, and that is in the refunding of the Affordable Connectivity Program. Thats connecting millions. Nearly 24 million households throughout america with Free Internet access. And so nearly a year ago today also after a chiefs super bowl win [laughter] i stood on this stage. And called for the, the first to call for a secure funding tap for acp. I believed that then, i believe that now. The case, in fact, has only grown stronger. It was clear in the ensuing months have only emphasized that acp is a once in a life lifetime catalyst. So since i first call for refunding the acp, the growth has continued to explode. It already exploded through ebb, acp for those of you in the room who know what im talking about. But just yearoveryear from last year to this year, we went from 16 million households to 23 million households. Weve overcome numerous challenges as we have faith in getting those households connected, spreading the word, gaining trust, language barriers. Just the enrollment execution. So all of these, we have put and pulled these hurdles out of the way. And all in all we have created a program that is very effective nationwide. But lets briefly set the stage here, go back to august of 2021. Congress, as we heard even from a number of colleagues here before that were focusing on congress was crafting legislation with the covid pandemic in mind as well as working to resolve those universal challenges that an equitable broadband deployment and access meant for millions of american households. So working together, a Bipartisan Congress adopted the infrastructure and investments jobs act, the iija a, stepping up to the plate with a historic investment to connect all americans with highspeed broadband. The airks iija made two complimentary investments to insure that no one got left behind. The first was, of course, the 42. 5 billion program to build broadband to unserved and underserved locations. 9 and the second was the 14. 2 billion for the Affordable Connectivity Program to provide that a 30 subsidy per month against the price of broadband sub gyms, 5 for tribal communities, of course and a onetime discount at the price of a broadband device. And so congress wisely, wisely realized that there are two challenges here when it comes to closing the Digital Divide and that they are, in fact, interrelated. First, we must build broadband to reach the door can step of all doorstep of all americans everywhere. Harder than it sounds. Second, millions of households quite simply cannot afford broadband without assistance. And so according to the Government Accountability office, nearly onethird of disconnected americans say cost is an obstacle thats standing in their way to subscribing to broadband. And thats where where acp, of course, comes in, insuring that when high quality with, highspeed if broadband is both available and affordable, teams can Deploy Networks with less risk and more certainty that households will subscribe. And importantly, that also means that deployment itself is less expensive. Because households enroll in acs churn for isps, they add to both the potential and if realized Subscriber Base of a network which facilitates more deployment. A landmark study concluded that acp works hand in if glove with b, reducing the subsidy necessary to support isp Network Deployment by 25 . And so what that really means, really, really means is that as ntia as im sure you heard approves these state plans, federal funds are going to start to flow. That means those dollars are going to stretch further and be able to impact more households in bead and reach more unserved and underserved households thanks to the existence of a a cp. And so no ones going fall out of their chair when i say that due to a lack of funding, acp is in grave jeopardy. Finish in fact, weve already started the lyingdown process here at the fcc. Shutting down the program would push those subscribing households to make hard traditions decisions. Unless you as of february 7th, we stopped enrolling new enrollees, and were in that 2month winddown where were trying to fig out how to manage the program and manage those that are currently enrolled. Heres the hard decision that these households are going to have to make. First, potentially facing skyrocketing monthly internet bill for that vulnerable household or, second, disconnecting from the internet itself. We cannot let that happen. To put it plainly, a a cp is the most Effective Program weve had in helping low income americans get on rhine and stay online. In fact, its been the most Successful Program ever in the decadeslong bipartisan effort to solve the Digital Divide. Acps success, of course, lies in its universal appeal. Americans from all 50 states are enroll. Ed enrolled. When the missioner was forced to freeze enrollment, over 130 households in my home state of kansas, over 270,000 in nevada. 1. 1 million in ohio. 1. 7 million in florida. 558,000 in louisiana. 552,000 in arizona. 470,000 in virginia is. Thats, of course, just a smattering. What is that, six states . Enrollment was growing steadily at the time week over week. Notably, the program surpassed, something that ive continued tn rural enrollment. Let that be said clearly. And no to wonder the program was so popular. Nationwide nearly 78 of residents surveyed 78 by a a arp said they support congress continuing to fund the program. That same study found that acp if enables those personal connections online for seniors which bats loneliness, well documented for folks. And there are a lot of ways to look at the data. Let me give you a few ways that i have thought about the data, because its clear that a a cp is making a real difference in communities that are historically underserved. So data shows that approximately 50 of households participating in acp are black and latino. Let me say that again. 50 of households participating in acp are black and latino. Over 329,000 tribal households. Acp is also supporting elderly americans with over 4 million seniors and 10 million americans over the age of 50 benefiting from the program each month. Finally, looking at the data, nearly half again of the families are military families. So simply put, acp is helping to meet americans in all walks of their life. Ive seen it firsthand, the impact that acp has had on vulnerable households. As a true true champion of acp, ive crisscross canned the country to help push an increase in enrollment. I see so many friends in the audience that ive also worked side by side with in helping to get enrollments up, increasing awareness of the program. But truly, i have more than anything endeavored to hear directly from people, the people, on how having access to affordable, high quality broadband impacts them, impacts their lives, what the risk now of losing it would mean. And so met me share a few let me share just a few of their stories with you. You dont have to take my word for it. I met jerry, a Senior Living in Public Housing in chicago enrolled in acp. Hes lived his whole life without ever even owning a computer until a a cp helped him. Through the program, he got connected with Digital Literacy courses, received his first computer. And what he really did with that computer is what really matters. He took virtually those classes and took the important steps to improve his ail aing health carh access to the internet including reapplying for his Health Care Benefits online. Denise, a mother of four Young Children who could not aboard the pay for Internet Service, and that was a real problem for her. Her children were attending grade school remotely relying on Internet Access as they shifted from textbooks to online learning. And her children, she it would me, were in risk of falling behind. Thanks to acp, she got her internet for free, and and i can see her face right now. She looked at me with a combination of grave worry and deep frustration and said she truly did not know what was going to happen for her, for her family if and when acp goes away. Tim lake was a senior in lake county, illinois. Hes 80 but was spry, active, was wearing a trench coat and was dressed impeck if by impeccably. Said that he was computer illiterate, had never even turned on a computer in his great 80 years on this earth. Of when he first heard of acp, like many of you in the room who have worked with folks in getting focused enrolled, he said it was just too good to be true. And so he hesitated for a really long time. Thanks to acp, he got Digital Literacy sources courses, sent his first text message to his grown daughter. Her reply, of course, was, dad, welcome to the 21st century. [laughter] thought that was fun. But like many seniors, tim also took advantage of broadband and had a significant medical diagnosis as well. Acp has helped him with his telethe health. Telehealth. Last story. I could go on. You know, ive met people from portland to seattle, santa fe. I know senator lujan will be here, i understand, later, and ive had the great pleasure of traveling out there with him to visit tribal communities, talk to them about acp. Chicago, atlanta, engine. All folks have their new jersey. All folks have their own life, but today all have a similar message when youre talking to these low income households. And so is deborah also is in federal housing assistance. Moved away from her family and her church community, told me that thanks to acp she now finds herself hooked on the internet. She goes to church online, zoom to church, and and speaks to her grandkids every week. Shes taking advantage as well to use mapquest. She mapquests everything before she decided to go outside of her house. [laughter] started a knitting business online. And i was there visiting her just after valentines day. She said she has started Online Dating for seniors. I didnt ask any more questions [laughter] but i wish her luck. But when we discussed the end of this program, she asked me as well what am i going to do to keep up with what this has put in my life . And she said as well in a truly heartbreaking way, am i going to have to eat less food . Thats just crazy, yall. So the time has come. The time has come to act. Without additional appropriations from congress, we Just Announced that april will be the last fullyfunded month of acp. So this means that in a few short weeks, millions of americans will no longer have access to connect cannivity that they have come to rely on for their health care, for their job, for connections with their family, their kids education and more. These are the families who know what it means to try to stretch dollars. They really do. And theyre struggling to figure out how theyre going to stay online if a a cp ends if acp ends. And and truth be told, unfortunately, i predict that the end result will be that many of these households will be unable to stay online. Will be unable to stay connected. According to survey Data Collected by the fcc, 68 of households 68 of households say they had inconsistent or zero connectivity prior to acp. 80 of them citing affordability as the reason for their lack of connectivity. This same survey reported that 77 of respondents say that losing their acp benefit would disrupt their service is, make them change their plans or drop Internet Service completely. Another study the of unconnected households found that the mean price, the mean price respondents say they could pay would be at most 10. The majority of them said they couldnt may anything. And a majority of these households are subscription vulnerable meaning that they find the internet very difficult to fit into their monthly budgets. And so taking a step back and looking at sol of the macro policies in place here, i just really see if acp goes away there are very limited options. A few states do have aforce about affordability programs that could serve as a backstop. So then that means were looking to what i will say generously is the charity of Internet Service providers. Isps have agreed to create low cost plans in pickup with acp in partnership with acp. Many of you were there when we were at the white house where they announced that over 80 of folks would be now able to have Free Internet. 80 . But theres little, little Business Case i foresee for isps the keep nearly 24 million households connected for free in the absence of support. And so were funding to collapso lapse, the loss of trust is a significant factor for these subscribers. I think thatd be substantial and would be difficult to stand up acp or some it e ration of it as a Replacement Program in the future including trying to just keep these households online at all. So i think this would be a devastate thing, devastating loss of households conductivity. Correct it. Connect it. And truly to have the human almost element of this, i think, would be devastating to these households. Nearly a quarter of teens living in households making less than 30,000 per year say they sometimes cannot complete their homework. Again, the homework gap weve long heard about due to the lack of reliable computer Internet Access. The commissioning of the survey shows among students 18 to 24, 75 are using acp to complete their schoolwork. Access to the internet also a increases enrollment in earnings for low income users. That benefits us all, right . Access to telehealth is a game request changer. Data showing it increases access to care, decreases costs. And 72 of acp households report using their Broadband Service to schedule those health care appointments. And so these studies highlight that at times when broadband is most needed, loss of a job, health care scares, these are the times that households actually run to, are in need of connectivity. These are the households that otherwise are going to struggle to pay for it. And im an optimist, an optimist if at heart. Ive been working hard on the hill. You all have worked hard on the hill. I know many of you believe deeply in this program. There is good cause for hope. Because of the programs truly widespread adoption, calls for a a cp refunding have come from nearly every part of the country. President biden has a urged congress to fund the program as part of his budget, recently called again for congress to extend its funding. Theres a bipartisan, bicameral effort to fund acp, the Affordable Connectivity Program extension act. I proudly and strongly support that work and am working hard with our folks on the hill. Nearly 400 government with leaders in industry, Public Interest groups have supported that effort as well. State and and local levels, nearly 26 bipartisan governors, 174 mayors have urged congress to act. I stand ready and willing to do what it does to make congress, hopefully, bear some fruit here. Im hoping i can down on you to do the same. And so let me close here. It was just about two weeks ago i was driving with my kids. We were driving about an hour, hour and a quarter away to go see family. And so for those of you in the room who is kids, it wasnt a long drive, but they kept asking metaquestion that you always hear from the me that question you always hear from the backseat, are we there yet. Are we there yet. And so after you hear your kid, for the parents in the room, after you hear your kids ask the same question about 10, 11, 12 times, you actually stop and think about it, you dont have that kneejerk reflex. So i started to really stop and think about the it, what are they asking me . Are with we there yet . Are we there yet . It really is about a shared destination. Its about a commonjourney. A joint goal. But theres also that sense of urgency, right . Are we there yet. And so as i start to think about what is our shared goal in the Digital Divide, i know for me it is that we provide every american everywhere with high quality, Affordable Access to the internet. Thats what i work for. I know so many of you in the room do as well. And so if we stop and ask ourselves, if i ask myself are we there yet, are our shared goals for Digital Divide. I think were still on the way, is the answer that id give. Were still on the way. But i believe that acp is an essential part of how we get there. So our journey if towards a more connected and equitable pooch is fraught with challenges, but i deeply believe together we can transform the digital landscape to empower communities and foster growth nationwide. Weve made real progress, yall. We really have. But we cannot let it slide backwards. President biden said just a few weeks ago in North Carolina i believe with my colleague here, he said highspeed internet is not a luxury anymore, its an absolute necessity. I agree can. And so im excited for the future. For all americans, that we continue to get that highspeed affordable broadband. Acp is essential, is essential to that goal. So lets keep on pushing, yall. Thank you for the time, appreciate it. [applause] thank you, commissioner. Okay, were going to move things right along. Next is jimmy winder, the Capital ProjectFund Director at the u. S. Treasury department. If that fund is a 10 billion program that really was intended to be the seed funding for bead with. And if almost all of that funding has now been allocated. And hes going to give us an update. I know many of you may know long friend of incompas, has been work on tech and telecom issues now for a decade and a half or so. And were just thrilled that he could join us. And i understand hes willing to take questions from the audience too. So im going to hand the mic over to somebody else who will make sure that that happens at the end of your are ree marks. Thank you, joey. [applause] thanks, angie. Thanks, chip. Thanks, incompas, for putting together really an incredible lineup here. And its really an honor to follow commissioner starks who just spoke here a second ago. I do want the start by acknowledging that this is an historic time in broadband deployment in the United States. And we are in d. C. And politicians always like to talk about everythings historic, its an us to havic moment but it really historic moment but it is. It really is. Never before, and im pretty sure never again, will the federal government spend tens of billions of dollars in a coordinated effort over such a short period of time to bring affordable, reliable highspeedinternet to all americans. And i think its something, i know its something that i keep in mind at all times. Its important for everyone to keep in mind as were embarking on thatny together. Now, the question journey together. The question people often ask me is how in the world do you work with at the treasury department, and why does treasury have 10 billion to promote Broadband Connectivity . The reason why, the origin story behind the Capital Projects fund, is, sad lu, its the pandemic. Sadly. Everybody in this room knew that broadband, that highspeed Internet Access is essential for everyday life, for work or, for education, for health care, for communicating with friends and family. But its the pandemic that, sadly, put that into such sharp focus. And so in the American Rescue plan, which was one of the covid relief bills, congress made a down payment on bringing connectivity to all. Exactly what angie was just describing a minute ago. Were the seed money, the precursor to the larger show which is, admittedly, bead, which is the money that will come after us. And im excited and proud to report that of our 10 billion, to date we have now approved plans in all 50 states to the tune of 9. 5 billion. So now what does that mean . That means we have green lighted states to proceed, to put out these projects for be bid competitively, which ill get to in a is second. I am at incompas, so we have to talk about competition [laughter] to make these awards and for construction to start. And i am happy to say that work is underway already in about half of the states. And in a handful of states, homes are already connected, projects have been completed. And what are they being completed with . 100 symmetrical speeds. Were the only program that requires that speed threshold. And the reason why, because we want to make investments that dont just last for years, we want the make investments that last for decades to come. And when all is said and done, we will have connected over 2 million households just with our dollars from the Capital Projects fund. I think thats going to be an incredible record, an incredible legacy for the work that is being done as part of the American Rescue plan. Now, i want to come back to competition. I think its important to acknowledge that why are we here in the first place . If why is there a Digital Divide or why is there tens of millions of households that dont have highspeed if internet . The simplest answer is its a market fail cure, right . If the market did not incentivize providers the go to serve these homes to go to serve these homes x. If thats where we come in, right . Were paying for a piece of the capx, and we are requiring states to run competitive processes. Right . Put em out to bid. And not just a competitive process, but to have an all of of the above approach when it comes to providers. That shouldnt just be incumbents. It should be incumbents, competitors, telcos, cable companies, electric can coops, munis. We need Creative Solutions to do this buildout. And thats why that is one of our requirements that we put on states. Its not just about competitively bidding, its about making sure that the whole suite of providers is able and has an opportunity to bid, because with we know that will lead to better outcomes, lower cost, before service and more locations served. Ask and i also want to touch on something that commissioner starks talked about a few minutes ago, and hes exactly right. The conversation about the Digital Divide is not just about access, its about adoption. And there are multiple barriers to adoption. And we at the Capital Projects fund are giving flexibility to states to address those adoption issues as well. You know, one example is were allowing states to use our money for digital equity, and so i had the pleasure of being in philadelphia on friday with mayor parker of philadelphia to announce a 20 million grant to pennsylvania and philadelphia which will allow over 12,000 individuals to have a computer, to have a tablet, right . A lot is been said about the acp and i and i want to eo points. The first is i sat on this stage last year that there would be aa cascading effect i said if the acp ran out of money. The tense of mines of households that rely on the subsidy every month but also on providers that need a Sustainable Business model as they are deploying these dollars. So i want to reiterate what i said last year is that from our perspective at treasury we are 100 supportive of additional funding for the acp. We cannot allow the program to go away. So what am i focus on now, now that we have awarded most of the money . I dont just sit around all day with my feet up. It is we are very much in the complaint in Implementation Phase because there is a key that is driving the work. And that is that all the money has to be spent by the end of 2026. Meaning every project is got to be done. Every project has got to be done. And by having such a rigorous or such an ambitious deadline, i know were pushing states to act as fast as possible. So ill close before i open up to questions and also acknowledging that im the only thing sitting between all of you and lunch. I fully aware of that. Theres two key lessons lessons i want to share with you. The first is i understand that in order to do this deployment, to bring broadband to all americans, it takes, really takes a village but i to think of it as a trifecta. Youve got the federal dollars thats coming from us. Youve got the state implementation. The states are the ones that are driving where this money is going, how these programs are structured and they are running the process. And you need providers and at what else along the supply chain to actually do the work to supply the fiber and supply the widget and technology needed to build up these networks. It takes all three without come if you take away one of the legs, the whole thing collapses. Thats another reason why im so excited to be with such Diverse Group of stakeholders because everybody was part of this larger goal. Everybody has a stake in making sure that this is a success. The final thing i want to admit, and this is hard as someone who worked on capitol hill for 13 years is that what i have learned from this program will run this program for over two years is d. C. Does not know best. The program was designed, the congressional intent define the program was to empower states to develop programs that entrust the critical needs that exist in their states, right . We are not mandating exactly how this is supposed to happen. It states doing it. Some people say isnt it cool you run a 10 billion program . I correct them and essay, i oversee 50. Its really 50 different programs here. And i could say confidently that the net results of having 50 programs is going to be by far better than running a singular program from d. C. So im just so excited to see so many states getting to work, so many awards being made, so many shovels entering the ground and seeing the locations he lit up across the country. Thats why i will end here, and a happy to take whatever questions that you have. Two questions between me and turkey sandwiches. So two questions. Talk about anything including acp if you want. Chip. You with a first of all federal agencies, on adopting symmetrical speeds. Why did you do that . And then who followed you behind that . Thanks for the question. People talk about future proofing, right . People talk about you need to make investments that last a very long time. And we did, in fact, want to put our thumb on the scale in favor of fiber. We acknowledge that fiber doesnt make sense for every location in the United States but it makes sense for most locations in the United States. And if you make this investment now its going to last for so much longer. As a said at the beginning, theres not more money. This is it. We want to be able to look back in years and in the decades and said we did it, we completed the goal and it still working. Thank you so much for the remarks. Lets say acp does run out of funding. Youve all committed funds. States as you mentioned earlier shovels ready in the ground. But those providers are also a car to be discreet in the acp. So any guidance to states and their provider partners . Our guidance to everyone is fight to ensure theres more money for acp. Its not over yet, the fight is not over. The hope is that, well first of all i worked on the hill long enough to say with a total authority that you cannot predict what the field will do, right . No idea. Thats what the most important thing in our message to states and providers is lets fight for this money. The hardest part about acp is not convincing i think the hill that it is important or showing them the constituents to join a program. In so many ways the hardest part about funding for acp, its big number and youre are no, youre competing against other things that are not even telecom, right . Youve got these massive budgets with this massive appropriation bills and everybody wants some piece of it. You just want to make sure and we want to make sure that we are urging congress because congress response, right, responds to their constituents, that congress is prioritizing this funny to ensure a continuous. I think stacey at the last one. Okay. Thank you. I am going to help you with your remarks for the next time you get them. Great. I think there are four players and you didnt mention the cities, and the need for the cities to a processes in place to grant permits, everything that they do. I know that wasnt part of your program and is not part of the the program beat program either. Alan davidson spoke about this a little bit. Its not just permitted on federal lands but permitting by cities. What is going to happen if the cities cant grant the permits fast enough in order to meet your deadline . First of all, stacey, you are absolutely right, they are the fourth player in all of this. I know that. We hurried up and states all the time. I dont work at the fcc. Im not a regulatory body. But i can tell you that we are constantly working and work shopping with the states over these very issues, right . Pole attachment, permitting, its very real and i agree its not just a federal lands issue wild west. And its something as well does a lot of coordination and discussions with the fcc come with ntia. We know its a problem. Everybody knows our funding deadline and i appreciate you raising it here. Are right. I guess its, so thank you all. [applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] are right. Welcome back. We are ready move on to our next speaker. Everybody is