Technology & Telecommunications
23 Million Households Will Lose Internet Access. You Can Prevent It.
Act now to preserve the Affordability Connectivity Program
By Nicole Morgenstern
On Monday, March 4th the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is at risk of closing. Without immediate action and funding from Congress, the FCC can only fully fund the program through April 30, 2024.
Established in 2021 as a part of the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, the Affordable Connectivity Program ensures the affordability and accessibility of internet service for low-income households. Through the ACP, eligible households can receive a discount of up to $30 per month ($75 per month for qualifying households on tribal lands) on their internet service. Households can additionally receive a one-time $100 discount to purchase a device such as a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from a participating provider.
With more than 23 million households enrolled across rural, suburban, and urban America, the Affordable Connectivity Program is the most successful broadband program to exist in U.S. history. More than one out of every six households in the U.S. is enrolled in the ACP.
The Affordable Connectivity Program has helped millions of individuals gain access to affordable internet. The stakes are high for the 800,000 veterans, one million college students, 3.1 million working families with a K-12 student, and 5 million seniors across the U.S who are at risk of losing access to the internet. Without the ACP, millions of households will be forced to make difficult financial decisions in order to pay for higher cost internet bills, citing concerns with continuing to afford groceries, utilities, housing, and healthcare.
Advancing Justice | AAJC has been fighting for affordable broadband since it became clear that broadband access was a critical utility for accessing government services, applying for jobs, completing homework or online school, and staying connected with loved ones. Making affordable high-speed broadband available to low-income communities is foundational to bridging the digital divide and ensuring communities can succeed and thrive in all areas of their lives.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and Middle Eastern communities represent 8% of all ACP enrollees. Tangential digital divide indicators such as educational attainment levels, income, and English proficiency suggest that there are likely millions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who lack access to affordable, reliable, and usable broadband connections. These communities have faced difficulties connecting to the internet long before the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for reliable high-speed internet continues to grow as more and more resources and opportunities move online.
Affordable broadband internet is a critical step to ensuring that all communities have access to high-speed internet needed for school, work, healthcare, and more. With the anticipated closure of the ACP, more than three-quarters of ACP households are expected to experience connectivity disruptions.
The most successful broadband connectivity program to exist in U.S history is set to close later this spring unless Congress takes immediate and swift action.
Contact your member of Congress today and urge them to support the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024.
The time to act is now. Save the Affordable Connectivity Program and protect the 23 million households that rely on this program for broadband connectivity.
Nicole Morgenstern is the Telecommunications, Technology, and Media Policy Associate Manager at Advancing Justice | AAJC.
Advancing Justice | AAJC’s Telecommunications and Technology helps our diverse Asian American communities reap the benefits of technology while also protecting them from its potential harms.
