Affordable Connectivity Program

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

In May of 2021, the U.S. federal government began funding the Emergency Broadband Benefit program (EBB), which enabled lower income households and households facing economic hardship due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to more easily afford Internet access. Essentially a benefit program, qualifying households received $50/month ($75 for households on Tribal lands) to offset the cost of Internet service from a participating provider of their choice.

The EBB program was never intended to provide low income households with a long-term Internet service subsidy — in part because of an assumption that the pandemic would end before the program expired at the end of 2021. However, home Internet access during the pandemic has proved essential for everything from work and school to telehealth and delivery services. No longer seen as a luxury, household Internet access is now more commonly viewed by legislators as a utility, something that all homes need to function properly.

What is the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)?

Part of the $1.2T bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Joe Biden on November 15, 2021, the Affordable Connectivity Program falls under a larger $65B broadband Internet-related initiative that aims to make subsidized Internet access permanent for qualifying households. In addition, the program will increase and improve broadband infrastructure throughout the U.S., especially in rural areas. The ACP program went into effect when the EBB program expired on December 31, 2021. Following a 60-day transition period, during which EBB program recipients will still receive their $50 a month EBB benefit, the ACP will provide eligible households with a $30/month benefit to assist in paying for the Internet service provider of their choice.

Who is Eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program?

For the most part, households already eligible and receiving the EBB benefit will simply transition to the Affordable Connectivity Program. They will receive a notice from the Internet service provider regarding the transition, and their $50 monthly subsidy through the EBB program will continue through March 1, 2022. As of March 1, 2022, the ACP will be the only Internet assistance program in effect. The only difference between how the two programs work will be that, instead of receiving $50 to put toward their monthly Internet bill, ACP recipients will receive $30 each month. Note: households on Tribal lands will continue to receive $75 a month.

According to the FCC, households that received the EBB but will have to be reverified to qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program include:

• Households that qualified for the EBB because of a substantial loss of income due to furlough or job loss related to COVID-19.

• Households that received the benefit due to meeting a particular ISP’s COVID-19 pandemic-related criteria.

Households that will qualify or continue to qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program include:

• Any household that meets current Lifelprogram ine qualifications.

• Any household with a student or students who receive free or reduced school lunch or breakfast benefits.

• Any household with one member who has received a Pell Grant within the current award year.

• Any household that qualifies for a participating Internet service provider’s existing low-income access program.

• Any household with at least one member who receives assistance through SNAP or WIC.

• Any household that has an income of no more than 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Closing the Digital Divide

The benefits of the ACP can only be realized by addressing what has long been known as the digital divide. What is the digital divide? It’s the gap that exists and persists between those individuals and households who have both reliable Internet access and Internet-enabled devices and those individuals and households with limited or no access to Internet service or Internet-enabled devices.

Who does the digital divide affect? The digital divide almost exclusively affects rural people, individuals and families residing in low income areas, people living on Tribal lands and in U.S. territories, and communities of color. Here’s a look at how the broader Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will address those communities’ need for reliable, affordable Internet access devices.

The Details:

There are certain speeds allowed under the ACP. Each Provider is different, but almost all Providers are now offering some sort of ACP benefit. This means you can get a portion or all of your internet service paid for if you qualify.

Pre-Payment Guidelines and ACP

1. If a customer is qualified for ACP and they flag for pre-payment (not related to a prior balance), do they still have to pre-pay?

• If a customer is qualified for ACP and is getting the 300mbps speed, they will NOT have to pre-pay.

If the customer wants a higher speed, they will not qualify for the exception and will be required to pay upfront.

2. If a customer is flagged for pre-payment due to a prior balance and they are approved for ACP, do they have to take care of the balance before getting service?

• The customer is responsible for ALL prior balances to take advantage of the 300mbps for FREE promotion. The prior balance must be paid prior to installation.

3. How will a customer know if prepayment is required?

• In section two of the order confirmation email, the customer will see all fees due before services can be installed.

Participating Internet Service Providers and Cable Companies

A current list of participating Internet providers can be found on the FCC website.

Some of our featured Providers participating:

Comcast/Xfinity

Charter/Spectrum

Cox

Optimum (including former Suddenlink)

Mediacom

Sparklight

Fidelity Communications