At our Summit in Washington, D.C., America’s Communications Association (ACA Connects) drove the conversation and put the priorities of America’s independent providers front and center.
Below is a roundup of the major coverage from our event, highlighting how ACA Connects shaped discussions with lawmakers, regulators, and industry media on the most important issues facing our industry.
BEAD’s $21B question looms — with state AI laws on the line
Grant Spellmeyer, CEO of ACA Connects, told John Wednesday that he’s among telecom veterans who support tying funding to not overly regulating AI. This comes as some Republicans on the Hill consider preempting state regulations — but Spellmeyer stressed there are benefits to using residual BEAD funding as leverage over the states.
“You need some sort of hammer, or you’ll never get the AI regulation with teeth,” he said. “AI is just moving so quickly that I don’t think you can let 50 states come up with 50 different frameworks on AI.”
[…]
A big question is how the administration will let states use this $21 billion, and NTIA told POLITICO it’s going to take more time to figure that out.
[…]
Roth has seemed intrigued by permitting, and industry reps like Spellmeyer hope the administration will ease the construction of internet projects in commonly used areas known as “right-of-way” (Think, utility poles and where fiber runs).
“It’s good for the public in terms of getting deployment done,” Spellmeyer told John [Hendel].
Cable ISPs Hope to See BEAD Money Directed at Permitting Staff Needs
ACA President Grant Spellmeyer said the group has lobbied NTIA to allow BEAD money to go toward permitting needs.
[…]
In addition, broadband deployment efforts “will all grind to a halt” if there’s a proliferation of low-cost broadband mandates by states, Spellmeyer said. A number of state bills have been proposed in Maryland and elsewhere, and more are expected, he noted.
ACA Connects Summit focuses on factors that raise the cost of business
“The message that we will carry to [Capitol Hill] is one of affordability, and it’s not only affordability for customers. It’s a need to keep the cost of providing broadband and video affordable,” said ACA President and CEO Grant Spellmeyer during the ACA Connects Summit in downtown Washington, D.C.
ACA Connects’ legislative agenda includes a long list of issues. Leading issues include:
Permitting reform: “We spend a lot of time talking about permitting — right-of-way access barriers — and for good reason. Those are the types of pain points that can really kill the momentum for broadband deployment in your communities,” said ACA Connects Senior Vice President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs Brian Hurley during the summit.
[…]
Non-deployment funds: Many in Washington are watching the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as it decides how to distribute $21 billion in non-deployment funds from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. NTIA has heard calls to fund everything from state broadband affordability programs to programs to improve rural middle-mile connectivity.
“We have suggested to NTIA that there’s a significant opportunity to use [non-deployment funds] on right-of-way related issues,” Spellmeyer said during the ACA Connects summit.
Congressman Guthrie still wants action on the 1992 Cable Act
Reprising a position stated last year, House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) said Wednesday he’s interested in pursuing potential updates to the 1992 Cable Act amid continued market influence from “Big Tech,” video streaming services and other factors that have altered the competitive landscape for cable operators.
It’s not clear what changes he precisely has in mind – including whether it would be repealed or amended in some way – but Guthrie said alterations to the Act are needed.
[…]
Cable’s big target in any change to the Act is to reduce or eliminate retransmission content fees paid to broadcasters, arguing that rising fees have caused pay-TV prices to skyrocket.
[…]
“It’s unsustainable,” Spellmeyer said, citing data showing that consolidated cable carriage fees have increased $247 per subscriber per year since 2013. “It keeps driving the cost of a video package to unaffordable levels.”
ACA Connects: Hopeful, But Realistic About Cable Act Rewrite
The association’s small and midsize operators will be carrying a message of affordability to Washington. “It’s not only affordability for customers. It’s a need to keep the cost of providing broadband and video affordable. That’s where some of the things like the C-band transition, ATSC 3.0 mandates, retransmission consent [come in]. All of that stuff just raises the cost of operations and has to be passed along at some point,” ACA Connects President/CEO Grant Spellmeyer said.
On ACAC’s dream Hill wishlist is a rewrite of the 1992 Cable Act, which House Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie has said he’d like to update. He reiterated that during Wednesday’s Summit keynote. “The people you are competing with have a different set of rules and it’s not fair,” said Guthrie (R-KY).