Jessica Rosenworcel, the Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has released her final report highlighting the agency’s achievements in 2024. The FCC focused on expanding access to communications, ensuring access for people with disabilities, addressing suicides and domestic violence, improving emergency services, reducing costs for incarcerated people’s families, and protecting consumers. One of the most significant achievements was the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which enrolled over 23 million households nationwide.
Despite the program’s success, funding expired in May, prompting the FCC to find new ways to connect those on the wrong side of the digital divide. The FCC also took steps to assist tribal communities in utilizing E-Rate resources and improved broadband data collection. The FCC mandated rules to ensure mobile handsets are compatible with hearing aids and adopted regulations to provide telecommunications relay services during video conferencing calls.
Closed captioning standards were also updated to improve the accessibility of video programming. Since 2000, suicides in the U.S. have surged, with a notable increase in calls to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Focusing on 2024 FCC achievements
In 2024, the FCC enabled wireless calls to this lifeline to be routed based on geographic location to connect individuals in crisis with local resources. The FCC also focused on connectivity tools for domestic violence survivors, requesting auto manufacturers and wireless providers prevent connected car services from being misused for stalking. The FCC introduced a new alert code for Missing and Endangered Persons to help save lives through critical alert messages delivered via various media.
Wireless Emergency Alerts can now be sent in more than a dozen languages, ensuring that everyone receives critical information in a language they understand. In June, the FCC began implementing the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, significantly reducing the voice and video communications rates for incarcerated people and offering financial relief to their families. The FCC protected consumers aggressively, particularly against unwanted robocalls and texts.
New rules enforce financial penalties for carriers failing to block illegal calls and allow consumers to revoke consent for robocalls and texts to enhance consumer protections. As Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel prepares to leave the FCC, she reflects on these accomplishments as the core of her tenure. Her initiatives have made communications more accessible, just, and secure for all Americans.
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