The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) – which has helped 23 million Americans receive subsidized broadband service and connected devices – is running out of money, but bipartisan legislation introduced in both the House and Senate this week aims to revive the program with $7 billion of fresh funding.
The FCC warned earlier this week that it will start winding down the program – with a full-stop date sometime in May – unless Congress appropriates more money to keep the program going.
The White House in October delivered a supplemental funding request to Congress that includes a request for $6 billion of additional ACP funding. No action has yet been taken on that request.
This week’s legislative effort in the House and Senate marks a fresh effort to generate a continuing funding stream for the program, and unites across the aisle members of Congress who represent states with significant rural populations that have benefited from the ACP.
The Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act is being sponsored in the Senate by Sens. Peter Welch, D-Vt., JD Vance, R-Ohio, Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. The bill was introduced in the House by Reps. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.
“The Affordable Connectivity Program has helped close the digital divide by connecting over 25,000 Vermont households to lower-cost internet—an essential for working, learning, and staying connected to our communities,” said Sen. Welch. “Access to high-speed internet isn’t a luxury anymore, it’s a necessity. That’s why it’s never been so important to avoid this funding cliff and extend the ACP.”
“Over a million deserving households in Ohio receive low-cost internet access thanks to the Affordable Connectivity Program,” said Sen. Vance. “This is exactly the type of program my family would have benefited from if I was growing up in Ohio today. We must ensure low-income families all across Ohio, from our bustling cities to the most rural parts of Appalachia, aren’t cut off from the online banking, schooling, and connectivity services they need.”
“Every month, nearly 1.8 million New Yorkers – from students and educators to older Americans and veterans – rely on the Affordable Connectivity Program to help pay for their internet bill,” said Rep. Clarke. “The bipartisan, bicameral Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act provides a transformative opportunity to bridge the gap of the digital divide for communities of color, urban and rural families, and so many more underserved Americans.”
The bills’ sponsors said ACP has benefited more than 800,000 veterans, one million college students, 3.1 million families with a K-12 student receiving free or reduced-price lunch, and five million seniors across the country.
Continuing ACP operations also enjoys wide support among telecom service providers, among them Lumen Technologies.
“Lumen is committed to bridging the digital divide and helping more people get online in all the communities we serve,” said Melissa Mann, Lumen’s senior vice president-public policy and government affairs, in a statement. “That’s why we proudly participate in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program, offering a no-cost broadband option for qualifying residential customers.”
“Lumen strongly supports bipartisan legislation to fully fund the ACP, and we look forward to working with policymakers to find ways to fund this important program,” Mann said.
