The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a U.S. government benefit program designed to help low-income families pay for internet service. This is part of the government’s Internet For All initiative which has several programs to increase availability of high-speed internet services.
Tag Archives: Internet Service Providers
FCC launches new mobile broadband coverage map
The FCC has launched a new mobile broadband coverage map that shows the 4G LTE mobile coverage areas of the nation’s four largest mobile wireless carriers. This map was made available as a result of the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (DATA) Act of 2020.
The FCC also publishes maps that list the general availability of broadband internet services.
T-Mobile has new high-speed home internet service available
T-Mobile has a new high-speed home internet service with no current data caps available in selected areas. More information is available at their FAQ page.
Tech companies launching satellites to provide broadband internet service
SpaceX has launched numerous satellites related to the new Starlink internet service which is now available to a limited set of customers in the US, UK, and other countries. Starlink will add more customers as it continues to expand its operations. A Starlink app is also available at the Apple iOS and Google Play app stores.
Amazon has also launched satellites as part of Project Kuiper, which will also provide internet service to multiple countries.
Television Viewer Protection Act (TVPA) and modem rental fees
The Television Viewer Protection Act of 2019 (TVPA) requires providers of internet, voice, mobile, and data to engage in transparent sales and billing. It also prevents providers from charging a consumer for using equipment not provided by the service provider, such as a modem. The FCC granted providers an extension for this legislation until December 20, 2020. Modem rental fees should not be charged to consumers who provide their own equipment after that date.
BroadbandNow lists Internet Service Providers by address
BroadbandNow is a website that helps users find and compare Internet service providers (ISPs) for their local address in the U.S. The site also provides guides for selecting and troubleshooting internet service.
Downdetector shows outage information for websites and services
Downdetector shows outage information and status for widely used websites and services such as mobile and internet service providers, social media sites, banking and financial services, etc. This includes:
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- Most recent outages
- List of all companies tracked
- Facebook, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp
- Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat
- Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint
- AT&T, Comcast / Xfinity, Spectrum, CenturyLink, Frontier and Cox
- Google, Gmail, Google Cloud, and Google Hangouts
- Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and Box
- Apple Maps, iCloud, iMessage, and iWork
- Office 365, Outlook, Sharepoint, Skype and Skype for Business
- Visual Studio, Microsoft Teams, Azure, and Exchange
- Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cloudflare, and Zoom
PowerOutage.us is a different website that tracks electricity power outage data from utilities all over the United States.