Keep Americans Connected

Keep Americans Connected Pledge

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenges that many Americans will face in the coming months, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai recently announced the Keep Americans Connected Initiative. In order to ensure that Americans do not lose their broadband or telephone connectivity as a result of these exceptional circumstances, he specifically asked broadband and telephone service providers, and trade associations, to take the Keep Americans Connected Pledge. So far, more than 700 companies and associations have signed the Chairman's pledge to Keep Americans Connected.

The Keep Americans Connected Pledge reads as follows:

Given the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on American society, [[Company Name]] pledges for the next 60 days to:

not terminate service to any residential or small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic;
waive any late fees that any residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic; and
open its Wi-Fi hotspots to any American who needs them.

Display list of companies and associations that have signed the pledge.

24-7 & West Wisconsin Telcom
@Link Services
AcenTek
Adams Fiber
Advanced Communications Technology
Advanced Wireless
Aerwave
Agate Mutual Telephone
Agile Connect
Agri-Valley Communications
AireSpring
AirFiber
Alaska Communications
Alenco Communications
All West Communications
Alliance Communications
ALLO Communications
Allstream Business US
AlticeUSA
Altus Technology
Amery Telecom
Amherst Telephone Company
Amplex
ANI Networks
Antietam Broadband
Appalachian Wireless
Aristotle Unified Communications
Arlington Telephone Company
Arlington TV Cooperative
Armstrong
Arvig
Ashland Home Net
Assist Wireless
Astrea
AT&T
ATC Communications
Atlantic Broadband
ATMC
Aureon
B2 Solutions
Backstage Networks
Baldwin Lightstream
Bandwidth
Baraga Telephone Company
BARC Connects
Barnesville Municipal Telephone and Internet
Bays-ET Highspeed
BBT
Beaver Creek Cooperative Telephone Company
Beehive Broadband
BEK Communications
Belmont Telephone Company
Ben Lomand Connect
Benkelman Telephone Company
Beresford Municipal Telephone
Bergen Telephone Company
Beulahland Communications
BEVCOMM
BeyondReach
Bijou Telephone Co-Op
Blackburn Networks
Blackfoot Communications
Blair Telephone Company
Blanca Networks
Blanchard Telephone Company
Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative
Bloomer Telephone Company
Bloomingdale Communications
Bloomingdale Home Telephone Company
Blue Ridge Communications
Blue Valley Tele-Communications
Bluebird Network
BluIP
BOLT Fiber Optic Services
Bolt Internet
BOYCOM Vision
BPS Long Distance
BPS Networks
Bracken Cable
Brandenburg Telecom
Brandenburg Telephone
Bravado Wireless
Brazos Communications
Bresco Broadband
Bretton Woods Telephone Company
BrightRidge
Bristol Bay Telephone Cooperative
Bristol Tennessee Essential Services
Broadband VI
Broadvoice
Bruce Telephone Company
Btel Fiber
Bulloch Telephone Cooperative
BullsEye Telecom
Burke's Garden Telephone Co.
Burlington Telecom
Bush-Tell
BWTelecom
C Spire
Cable One
Calaveras Telephone Company
Call One
Callabyte Technology
Cal-Ore Telephone Co.
Cambio Broadband
Cambridge Telephone Co.
Cameron Communications
Cameron Telephone Company
Cap Rock Telephone Cooperative
Capizmo Communications
Casco Communications
Cass Cable TV
Cass Telephone Company
CDE Lightband
Celerity Networks
Cellcom
CentraCom
Central Arkansas Telephone Cooperative
Central Scott Telephone Company
Central Texas Telecommunications
Central Texas Telephone Cooperative
CenturyLink
Charter
Cherry Capital Connection
Chickasaw Telephone Company
Choice Wireless
Christensen Communications Company
Chugwater Telephone
Cimarron Telephone Company
Cincinnati Bell
Cintex Wireless
Citizens Connected
Citizens Telephone Cooperative
City of Bardstown, Kentucky
CityLink Telecommunications NM
CityLink Wireless
Clear Lake Telephone Company
ClearWave Communications
Coast Communications Co.
Cochrane Co-op Telephone
Coleman County Telephone Cooperative
Colfax Cable
Colorado Valley Communications
Colorado Valley Telephone Cooperative
COLTONTEL
Comcast
Common Networks
Communications Authority
Community Wireless
Co-Mo Connect
Comporium
Comspan
Conifer Communications
Consolidated Communications
Consolidated Companies
Consolidated Telecommunications
Conterra Networks
Copper Valley Telecom
CopperNet Systems
Cordova Telephone Company
CounterPath Corporation
Cox Communications
Cozad Telephone Company
Craigville Telephone Company
Craw Kan Telecommunications
CresComm Wifi
Cross Telephone Company
Crown Castle
CS Technologies
CTS Telecom
Cuba City Telephone Exchange Company
Cumby Telephone Cooperative
Cunningham Communications
Cunningham Telephone Company
Custer Telephone Cooperative
D&P Communications
Dakota Carrier Network
Dakota Central
Dallas Network Services
DayStarr Communications
DC Access
Dell Telephone Cooperative
Dickey Rural Networks
Digital West
Diller Telephone Company
Direct Communications
DirectLink
DNA Communications
Dojo Networks
Douglas Fast Net
DTC Communications
Dubois Telephone Exchange
Ducor Telephone Company
Eagle Telephone System
EarthLink
East Ascension Telephone Company
Eastern Indiana Wifi
Eastern Nebraska Telephone Company
Eastern Oregon Net
Eastern Slope Rural Telephone Association
Eastex Telephone Cooperative
Echo Wireless Broadband
Education Networks of America
Elizabeth Telephone Company
Ellington Telecom
EM3 Networks
Emerald Broadband
Emery Telecom
EMPOWER Broadband
Endeavor Communications
Enhanced Telecommunications Corporation
EPB Chattanooga
EPLUS Broadband
Etex Telephone Cooperative
Ethoplex
e-vergent
F&B Communications
Faith Municipal Telephone
Farmers Independent Telephone
Farmers Mutual
Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative
Farmers Telephone
Fastnet Wireless
FastTrack Communications
Fatbeam
Fidelity Communications
Firefly Fiber Broadband
FirstLight
Five Area Telephone Cooperative
Flint River Communications
FMCTC
Foothills Communications
Foresthill Telephone Co.
Forsyth CableNet
Fourteen IP
Free Conferencing Corporation
Frontier
Fusion
Fusion Cloud Company
Fusion Cloud Services
Fusion Communications
Fusion Telecom of Kansas
Fusion Telecom of Missouri
Fusion Telecom of Oklahoma
Fusion Texas Holdings
Garden Valley Technologies
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association
GCET
GCI
GeoLinks
Getwireless.net
Gila River Telecommunications
Global Tel Link
Golden Belt Telephone Association
Golden West Telecommunications
Google Fi
Google Fiber
Gorham Telephone Company, Inc.
GoSEMO Fiber
GoZone WiFi
Grand Telephone Company
Grande Communications
Granite State Communications
Granite Telecommunications
Grantsburg Telecom
Great Plains Communications
Griggs County Telephone Company
GRM Networks
GTA TeleGuam
Gunnison Telephone Company
GVTC Communications
GWI
H & B Communications
Haefele Connect
Halstad Telephone
Hamilton Communications
Hancock Telephone Company
Hargray Communications
Harmony Telephone Company
Hartman Telephone Exchanges
Haviland Telephone Company
Hawaiian Telcom
Hemingford Cooperative Telephone Company
Henderson Cooperative Telephone Company
Hershey Cooperative Telephone Company
Hiawatha Broadband
Hiawatha Telephone Company
High Mountain Farm Broadband
Highland Telephone Cooperative
Hill Country
Hillsboro Telephone Company
Holland Board of Public Works
Holway Telephone Company
Home Telecom
Home Telephone Co.
HomeTel
Horizon Telcom
Horry Telephone Cooperative
Hotwire Communications
HTC
Hudson Valley Wireless
Hughes
IAMO Communications
IdeaTek Telcom
IGL TeleConnect
Industry Telephone Company
Inland Cellular
Inteliquent
Intelligent Computing Solutions
InterBel Telephone Company
Interlakes Wireless
Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative
IPFone
ITS
ITS Fiber
J.B.N. Telephone Company
Jade Communications
James Valley Telecommunications
James Valley Wireless
JCWIFI
Jefferson Telecom
Kalida Telephone Company
KanOkla Networks
Kaptel
Kcindur Communications
Kennebec Telephone Company
Kerman Telephone Company
Kit Carson Internet
KLM Telephone Company
Kloud Konnect
KM Telecom
KPU
Kuhn Communications
Kwikom Communications
La Ward Communications
La Ward Telephone Exchange
Lafourche Telephone Company
Lake Livingston Telephone Company
Lakeland Communications
Lakeside Networks
LARIAT.NET
LaValle Telephone Cooperative
LCI Fiber Optic Network
LEACO Rural Telephone
Lennon Telephone Company
Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico
LICT Corporation
Lightburst Broadband
LightSpeed
Lightstream
Ligonier Telephone
LigTel Communications
Limestone Cable
Lincoln Telephone Company
Lincolnville Telephone
Lingo Communications
Lipan Telephone
LISCO
Lismore Coop Tel Co.
Logan Telephone Coop
Logix Fiber Networks

Long Lines Broadband
Lonsdale Telephone Company
Loop Internet
LowerCostCalls
LTC Networks
LTD Broadband
LV.Net
Lynxx Networks
Madison Telephone Company
Mammoth Networks/Visionary Broadband
Manti Telecommunications Company
Manti Telephone Company
Marquette-Adams Telephone Cooperative
Masergy Communications
Matanuska Telephone Association
McCormack / Ellington Telecom
McDonough Telephone Cooperative
Mediacom
Merit Network
MetTel
MiBroadband
Michigan Broadband Services
Mid Century Fiber
Midco
Middleburgh Telephone Company
Mid-Hudson Cable
Mid-Plains Rural Telephone Cooperative
Midstate Communications
Mid-States Services
Midway Telephone Company
Minburn Communications
MINET
Missouri Valley Communications
MLGC
Mobile Beacon
Mobius Communications Company
Molalla Communications Company
Monitor Telecom
Monkeybrains
Monon Telephone Company
Monroe Telephone Company
Morristown Utilities
Mosaic Telecom
Moundridge Telephone Company
Moundville Telephone Company
Mount Horeb Telephone Company
Mountain West Technologies
MPU CONNECT
MTC Communications
MTE Communications
Mulberry Telecommunications
Murray Electric System
Mutual Telephone Company
Myakka Communications
NATCO Communications
NCC
Nebraska Central Telephone Company
Nelson Cable
Nemont
Nemont Communications
Nemont Telephone Cooperative
NEMR Telecom
Neptuno
Network Communications International Corporation
NeuBeam
New Lisbon Broadband and Communications
New Lisbon Telephone Company
New Paris Telephone
NewWave Communications
Next Powered by NAEC
Nex-Tech
Nex-Tech Wireless
NfinityLink Communications
Ninestar Connect
NiTCO
NNTC Wireless
Nortex Communications
North Central Telephone Cooperative
North Dakota Telephone Company
Northeast Louisiana Telephone Company
Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company
Northern Telephone Cooperative
Northern Valley Communications
Northland Communications
NorthState
Northwest Communications
Northwest Communications Cooperative
Northwest Fiber
Northwest Missouri Cellular
Northwest Ohio Broadband
Norvado
NOS Communications
Nsight Teleservices
Ntec
NTUA Wireless
Nucla-Naturita Telephone Company
Nunn Telephone
Nushagak Cooperative
NUSO
Nuvera
NWN Corporation
OACYS Technology
OEC Fiber
OEConnect
OMGitsfast
Ontonagon County Telephone Company
OpticaTel
OptimERA
Orbitel Communications
OTELCO
Otter Tail Telcom
OzarksGo
Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative
Park Region Mutual Telephone Company
Pathwayz Communications
Paul Bunyan Communications
PC Telcom
PD Fiber
Peninsula Fiber Network
Pennsylvania Telephone Company
Peoples Rural Telephone Cooperative
Peoples Telephone Cooperative
PGTelco
Phone.com
Piedmont Communications
Pierce Telecommunications
Pigeon Telephone Company
Pilot Fiber
Pine Belt Communications
Pine Drive Telephone Company
Pineland Telephone Cooperative
Pinnacles Telephone Co.
Pinpoint Communications
Pioneer Communications
Pioneer Telephone Cooperative
Plains Cooperative Telephone
Plainview Telephone Company
Planters Telephone Cooperative
Plateau Telecommunications
Poka Lambro Telephone Cooperative
Polar Communications
Ponderosa Telephone Co.
Portative Technologies
Pottawatomie Telephone Company
Premier Communications
Prestige Broadband
PriorityONE Telecommunications
Project Telephone Company
ProValue.Net
Public Service Communications
Public Service Telephone Co.
Puerto Rico Telephone Company/Claro
PVT Networks
Q Link
Quantum Internet and Telephone
Rainbow Communications
Rainier Connect
Randolph Communications
Range Telephone Cooperative
Raven Rock Networks
RCN
Red River Communications
Red Spectrum
Reserve Telephone Company
Resonance Broadband
Resound Networks
RG Fiber
Richland-Grant Telephone Cooperative
Rise Broadband
RiverStreet Networks
Riviera Telephone Company
Rochester Telephone Company
Rock County Telephone Company
Roggen Telephone Cooperative
Rogue Broadband
Rothsay Telephone Company
RT Communications
RTC (North Dakota)
RTC Communications
RTI
RTO Wireless
Runestone Telecom Association
RURALBAND
S&T Telecom
Sacred Wind Communications
SafetyNet Wireless
Sagebrush Cellular
San Carlos Apache Telecommunications
Sand Creek Communications
Sandhill Telephone Cooperative
Santel Communications Cooperative
SCC Networks
SCI/Savage Communications
SCTelecom
SecureNetMD
Securus Technologies
Segra/Lumos Networks
SEI Communications
SELCO
Service Electric Cable TV
Service Electric Cablevision
Sharon Telephone Company
Shawnee Communications
Sierra Telephone Company
Silver Star Communications
SinglePoint Global
Sirentel
Siskiyou Telephone Company
Sjoberg’s Skyline Membership Cooperative
Skywire Networks
Slopeside Internet
SmarterBroadband
Smith Bagley
Smithville Communications
Smithville Telephone Company
Socket Telecom
Solarus
Somerset Telephone Company
Sonic
SOS Communications
South Central Communications
South Plains Telephone Cooperative
Southern Kansas Telephone Company
Southern Ohio Communications Services
Southwest Minnesota Broadband Service
SPITwSPOTS
Splash Wireless Internet
Spot On Networks
Spring Grove Communications
Springcom
Springport Telephone Company
Sprint
SRInternet
SRT Communications
St. John Cable
StandUp Wireless
Stanton Telecom
Star Communications
Starry
Stoneham Telephone
STRATA Networks
StratusIQ
STT Rural Net
Surry Communications
Swiftel Communications
Swyft Connect
Taylor Telecom
TCC Networks
TCC Skywire NW
TCT
TDS Telecom
TEC
Telemedia Solutions
Tele-Media Solutions
Telescan
TelNet Worldwide
ThinkSecureNet
Three Rivers Digital
Three Rivers Telco
Thumb Cellular
Tidewater Telecom
Ting Internet
T-Mobile
ToledoTel
Totah Communications
Total Highspeed
Totelcom
TOWARDEX
TracFone Wireless
Tribal Digital Village
Tri-County Communications Cooperative
TrioTel Communications
TrueStream
TruLeap Technologies
TruVista Communications
Tularosa Basin Telephone
Turtle Mountain Communications
Twin Lakes
Twin Valley Telephone
TWN Communications
Umpqua Broadband
Union Telephone Company
Unite Private Networks
United Communications
United Communications Association and United Telephone Association
United Fiber
United Wireless Communications
Uniti Fiber
Upstream Network
US Cellular
US Internet
USA Digital Communications
USConnect
Valley Connections
Valley FiberCom
Valley Telephone Company
Valley Telephone Cooperative
Vast Broadband
Venture Communications
Vergennes Broadband
Verizon
Vermont Telephone Co.
Vernon Communications
Verona Networks
Viaero Wireless
Viasat
Viya
Volcano Telephone Company
VTel Wireless
VTX1
Vyve Broadband Investments
Wabash Communications CO-OP
Wahkiakum West
Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom
Wander Internet
Warwick Valley Telephone
Watch Communications
Wauneta Telephone Company
Wave Broadband
Wave Wireless
Wavelinc Communications
We at Good Connections
Web Fire Communication
Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association
West Carolina Rural Telephone Cooperative
West Central Wireless
West Kentucky and Tennessee Telephone Cooperative
West Plains Telecommunications
West River Cooperative Telephone Company
West River Telecom
West Telecom Services
Western New Mexico Telephone Company
Wes-Tex Telephone Cooperative
Westphalia Broadband
Westphalia Telephone Company
Wheat State Technologies
Wide Voice
Wiggins Telephone
Wilkes Communications
Willamette Valley Fiber
Wilson Communications
Winchester Wireless
Wind River Internet
Windstream
Winn Telecom
Winn Telephone Company
Winnebago Cooperative Telecom Association
Wisper Internet
WispWest
Wittenberg Telephone Company
WorldNet Telecommunications
WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone
WTC
Wyandotte Cable
Xchange Telecom
XIT Rural Telephone
XL Broadband
Yadkin Valley Telephone Company
YK Communications
Yucca Telecom
ZenFi Networks
ZIRKEL Wireless

Trade Associations

ACA Connects
Cloud Communications Alliance
Competitive Carriers of America
CTIA
Federation of Internet Service Providers of the Americas
INCOMPAS
Minnesota Telecom Alliance
National Lifeline Association
NCTA—The Internet and Television Association
NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association
Rural Wireless Association
SIA—Satellite Industry Association
Texas Statewide Telephone Cooperative
USTelecom
Wireless Infrastructure Association
Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association
WISPA
WTA—Advocates for Rural Broadband

Chairman Pai has also urged companies with low-income broadband programs to expand and improve them and those without them to adopt such programs. He called on broadband providers to relax their data usage limits in appropriate circumstances and take steps to promote remote learning and telehealth. See the list of companies going above & beyond and additional steps they are taking.

More Ways the FCC is Keeping Americans Connected

COVID-19 Telehealth Program: On April 2, the FCC established a $200 million COVID-19 Telehealth Program to help health care providers provide connected care services to patients at their homes or mobile locations in response to the pandemic. Congress appropriated the funds as part of the CARES Act. The Program will provide immediate support to eligible health care providers responding to the pandemic by fully funding their telecommunications services, information services, and devices necessary to provide critical connected care services. To learn more about eligibility and to submit an application, visit fcc.gov/covid19telehealth.
Connectivity on the Pueblo of Zuni Tribal Reservation: The FCC granted access to 2.5 GHz spectrum for the A:SHIWI College & Career Readiness Center to provide broadband service to the Zuni tribe in New Mexico.
Granting Providers Additional Spectrum to Support Increased Broadband Usage: The FCC has granted temporary authority to a number of wireless companies to use additional spectrum in order to ensure that they are able to meet their customers’ needs. It granted Special Temporary Authority to allow 33 wireless Internet service providers in rural communities as well as AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon, and others to use additional spectrum to help meet increased customer demand for broadband during the coronavirus pandemic.
Helping Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands Stay Connected: The FCC granted AT&T temporary access to use additional spectrum to serve Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands during the pandemic. The Commission under Chairman Pai has placed a special emphasis on connectivity on the islands following the devastating storms that hit them in recent years.

Tweets About the Initiative

Tweets About the Keeping Americans Connected Initiative
Supporting Telehealth and Remote Learning by Waiving Gift Rules: The FCC waived gift rules in the Rural Health Care and E-Rate programs to make it easier for broadband providers to support telehealth and remote learning efforts during the pandemic. The waiver will allow healthcare providers, schools, and libraries to accept improved capacity, Wi-Fi hotspots, networking gear, or other equipment or services to support doctors and patients, teachers and students, and librarians and patrons during the coronavirus outbreak.
Increasing Rural Health Care Funding: The FCC adopted an Order to fully fund all eligible Rural Health Care Program services for the current funding year with an additional $42.19 million. This action will help ensure that healthcare providers have the resources they need to promote telehealth solutions for patients during this outbreak. In addition, a March 26 order took a number of actions to assist Program participants, including extending the application window until June 30, 2020, among other administrative deadlines.
Waiving Lifeline Program Rules to Help Low-Income Consumers: The FCC has taken action to help ensure that no current Lifeline subscribers are involuntarily removed from the Lifeline program during the coronavirus pandemic by waiving several rules that could otherwise result in de-enrollment of subscribers. The FCC has also waived Lifeline program rules to assist program participants potentially affected by the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and aid community efforts to slow its spread.
Zoom and WebEx Regulatory Relief: The FCC issued a temporary waiver of its access arbitrage rules to Inteliquent, a telecommunications company that carries traffic for two of the nation’s largest conference calling providers, Zoom Video Communications and Cisco WebEx. The massive increase in conference calls made by consumers using Zoom and WebEx to work and attend classes from home during the COVID-19 pandemic would have likely resulted in Inteliquent being deemed an “access-stimulating” carrier under the FCC’s rules.
Enabling Interpreters to Work From Home to Maintain Services for Disability Community: The FCC granted Telecommunications Relay Service providers temporary waivers to better enable American Sign Language interpreters to work from home in order to maintain relay services during the current coronavirus pandemic for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind, or have a speech disability.
Broadcasters Keeping America Informed: Chairman Pai thanked radio and television broadcasters for their tireless efforts during the coronavirus outbreak, including running public service announcements on social distancing, airing educational programming to help with distance learning, expanding COVID-19 reporting, and holding fundraisers to help those who have faced financial hardship due to the virus. Also, on a March 16 call with broadcasters, he asked broadcasters to work with cable and satellite operators to avoid service disruptions during the next 60 days.
Supporting Consumers: The FCC is working to keep Americans informed about the latest COVID-19 phone and text based scams. Learn more and hear scam audio. In addition, the FCC has issued a consumer alert that provides tips to consumers to help them optimize their home networks during the pandemic.
Incentive Auction Transition Guidance: On March 17, the FCC announced that it would provide broadcasters with appropriate flexibility to address disruptions and issued guidance for stations in Phase 9 of the post-Incentive Auction transition.
Extending E-Rate Deadlines: To help educational institutions during the coronavirus pandemic, the FCC extended the deadline for E-Rate applications to April 29 for funding year 2020.