FCC Initial List of EBB Providers Includes AT&T, Comcast

The FCC released an initial list Thursday of providers participating in the $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit program (see 2103260047). Some big ISPs are on the list while others aren't, our review found. The commission plans to announce regular updates as more providers are approved, said a spokesperson. Among those participating so far are Cable One, Comcast, Consolidated Telephone and Windstream. AT&T and its affiliates, including BellSouth, Southwestern Bell and Pacific Bell, are also participating. Most providers will offer discounts for fixed broadband services. Several larger providers were notably missing from the list, including Frontier, Lumen, T-Mobile, UScellular, Tracfone, and Altice. It couldn't immediately be confirmed whether any of those companies' affiliates are participating. Most of the apparently missing companies didn't respond to questions about whether they plan to participate. A spokesperson for Lumen didn't answer our question about its participation but again said it's "reviewing the program's rules" (see 2103040049). Verizon, missing from the initial list, previously told us it will participate. Charter was approved to participate, but the company hasn't filed its confirmation yet. "We will do so shortly," emailed a spokesperson. A spokesperson for Altice said the company was approved to participate and is looking into why it was omitted from the list.