FCC Draft Would Extend Deaf-Blind Equipment Program Another Year

The FCC would extend the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program another year while it completes a rulemaking to make the program permanent, the commission told us Tuesday, responding to our query about a draft item on its circulation list. The FCC has operated for several years a $10 million pilot program (also called iCanConnect), running from July 1 to June 30, to distribute communications equipment to low-income deaf-blind people under the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. Commenters in the pending rulemaking last year supported the FCC proposal to make the program permanent but diverged on some details (see 1507290063).