FCC Querying Coalition for Broadband Equity on New Charter Conditions
The FCC asked an unfunded association of community groups, schools, government agencies and libraries in five states about its thoughts on Charter Communications' plans for broadband access for low-income households and how it came to its recommendations, said an ex…
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parte filing Friday in docket 15-149. The Coalition for Broadband Equity said that, in a call with FCC staff that included Owen Kendler, who is overseeing the Charter transaction review team, the agency asked about coalition members' views on the broadband program eligibility criteria, costs and duration. The filing said the FCC also asked whether the coalition's recommendations for a $50 million annual commitment to marketing and customer support for the discount program, with an annual enrollment goal of a minimum 200,000 households, came from specific cost or budgeting data from similar community initiatives. The coalition said those figures are "not out of line" for community outreach and training program costs. The coalition said it also discussed its recommendations for how effective community-based programs need to operate, with "consistent, supportive personal interaction with potential new broadband adopters as well as with neighbors and organizations" that can help in the efforts. The coalition has pushed for broader eligibility requirements in New Charter's residential cable Internet access for low-income households program (see 1512100016). The FCC's 180-day unofficial shot clock for review of Charter's plans to buy Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks hit 180 days Thursday (see 1603240017).