AMERICAN CABLE ASSOCIATION INC

ADVOCACY: 2023 WAS A YEAR OF TRANSITION FOR TELECOM POLICY IN WASHINGTON, AND FOR ACA CONNECTS. IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THE "2-2" FCC ADOPTED RULES ON A CONSENSUS BASIS TO IMPLEMENT MAJOR TELECOM INITIATIVES ADOPTED BY CONGRESS IN THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, IN PARTICULAR THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM (ACP) AND BROADBAND LABELS. ACA CONNECTS' ADVOCACY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE PROGRAMS HELPED USHER IN RULES THAT ENCOURAGED PARTICIPATION FROM OUR MEMBERS AND AVOIDED SADDLING THEM WITH EXTRANEOUS BURDENS. FOR INSTANCE, ACA CONNECTS WAS SUCCESSFUL IN ENSURING THAT A DATA COLLECTION RELATED TO ACP, WHICH WAS INITIATED IN MID-2023, DID NOT REQUIRE OVERLY GRANULAR REPORTING OR DISCLOSURES OF CONFIDENTIAL COMPANY DATA. OUR ADVOCACY ALSO HELPED REDUCE BURDENS AND ESTABLISH A LONGER TIMELINE FOR SMALL COMPANIES TO CREATE AND DISPLAY BROADBAND LABELS, WHICH OUR MEMBERS BEGAN WORKING TOWARDS IN 2023. WE WERE ALSO SUCCESSFUL IN 2023 IN RESISTING THE ADOPTION OF ONEROUS RULES IN AREAS, SUCH AS PUBLIC SAFETY, WHERE BIPARTISAN CONSENSUS IS OFTEN ACHIEVABLE. EDUCATION: DURING 2023, WE ALSO CONTINUED TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND EDUCATION TO MEMBERS TO HELP THEM ASSESS OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 42 BILLION BEAD BROADBAND FUNDING PROGRAM, AS WELL AS TO PROTECT THEIR SERVICE TERRITORIES FROM GOVERNMENT-FUNDED OVERBUILDING. THE APPOINTMENT OF A FIFTH COMMISSIONER TO THE FCC IN THE FALL OF 2023 GAVE DEMOCRATS THE MAJORITY THEY NEEDED TO PURSUE PARTISAN INITIATIVES, INCLUDING THE REINSTATEMENT OF UTILITY-STYLE TITLE II REGULATION OF BROADBAND SERVICE. ACA CONNECTS HAD BEEN PREPARING FOR THIS SHIFT EARLIER IN THE YEAR, AND ITS ADVOCACY IN THE FINAL MONTHS HELP BUILD A RECORD AND LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR LEGAL CHALLENGES THAT WOULD COME IN 2024.