NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (July 1, 2022) – The Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) and its Office of State Broadband (OSB) participated in a Notice of Inquiry issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) concerning the Congressional mandate to eliminate “digital discrimination” in providing access to internet services. OCC/OSB filed Initial Comments with the FCC on May 16, 2022 and Reply Comments on June 30, 2022. The Notice of Inquiry set forth the FCC’s mandate “. . . to ensure that all people of the United States benefit from equal access to broadband internet access service,” with the intention of preventing and identifying steps the FCC should take to eliminate “digital discrimination of access based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin,” consistent with Congress’s directive in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Infrastructure Act).
OCC/OSB’s Initial Comments recommended some legal approaches under which the FCC may address digital discrimination consistent with long established principles in housing and employment discrimination cases. The Initial Comments also set forth a model policy for the FCC to consider adopting. Finally, OCC/OSB advocated for local enforcement of digital discrimination claims because the FCC would likely be unable to marshal the requisite resources to meaningfully combat discrimination in each part of the U.S.
More information available here.
###
The Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) is the State of Connecticut’s advocate for consumers on issues relating to electricity, natural gas, water, and telecommunications. For more information, visit www.ct.gov/occ.