ACP Grant, 17 GHz GSO Downlinks on the August FCC Agenda

The FCC's August meeting will have a vote on establishing an outreach grant for the affordable connectivity program and allowing geostationary orbit (GSO) satellite service downlinks in the 17.3-17.8 GHz band, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel blogged Thursday. Also on the agenda are consideration of a one-year pilot program, -- Your Home, Your Internet -- which aims to boost enrollment among households receiving federal housing assistance, and the possible launch of an inquiry into in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing, plus an Enforcement Bureau item and a Media Bureau adjudication, she said. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act gave the FCC authority to allocate ACP funding for outreach, a change from the emergency broadband benefit program that many advocacy groups sought. The FCC sought comment on how it should establish the grant program earlier this year. Many groups sought flexibility in eligibility and how awards would be made (see 2206130052). “We’re making sure people know about affordable ways to get connected," Rosenworcel said. The FCC unanimously approved an NPRM on GSO downlinks in the 17 GHz band (see 2011180043) in 2020, though wireless interests raised concerns about proposed co-primary operations in the band (see 2103040041). Rosenworcel said the item would also seek comment on opening this opportunity to more satellites. People receiving federal housing assistance too often "find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide," she said, and the Your Home, Your Internet pilot “offers a unique opportunity to help them get online.” Commissioner Geoffrey Starks led the initiative to establish the pilot.