Today, the Federal Communications Commission is freezing enrollment in the Affordable Connectivity Program. Without additional funding from Congress, the ACP will run out of funding as soon as May 2024. The following statement may be attributed to Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Director of Policy Engagement Drew Garner:

Today, the doors are closing on the most successful broadband affordability program in U.S. history—the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)—despite the ACP’s overwhelming support from voters, advocates, industry, state officials, and Members of Congress.

The ACP was created so that financial hardship would never be a barrier to internet access. If you lost your job one day, the ACP meant you could still look for work the next. No distance could keep you from your doctor, your teacher, or your loved ones. The ACP was a guarantee that opportunity would be available to people across the U.S no matter what.

Today, that guarantee is void. The ACP has closed its doors. Congress may yet reopen them, but until it does, struggling Americans will be forced to choose between essentials like food, medicine, and internet service. Without the ACP, many can’t afford all three.

Fund the ACP ASAP.

Benton Institute's Recent ACP Analysis

• Who is About to Lose their ACP Discount?
• Here’s What ISPs Are Telling ACP Subscribers Today
• Ending the ACP will Limit the Internet’s Economic and Healthcare Benefits for Low-Income Households
• ACP Enrollment Performance Tool

Contact:

Drew Garner  dgarner@benton.org 

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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