Industry Groups Reject Subscriber-Level ACP Data Collection

Industry groups asked the FCC to ensure the affordable connectivity program's annual data collection is "streamlined and efficient for the benefit of consumers and providers," per an ex parte filing posted Thursday in docket 21-450 (see 2207260070). NTCA, USTelecom, CTIA, NCTA and ACA Connects met with Wireline Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics staffers. The groups said a subscriber-level collection "would run afoul" of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and be "difficult, if not impossible" to define the requirement. It would also "have a chilling effect among subscribers who do not wish to turn over their personal data," the groups said, suggesting the FCC collect aggregated data at the state level on price and subscription rates of ACP service offerings.