The US Federal Communications Commission has stopped taking new applications for a popular benefit that helps millions of low-income and minority Americans afford internet service.
The Affordable Connectivity Program, or ACP, provides monthly subsidies of $30 to $75 to help low-income households pay for home internet. The FCC’s move to freeze new sign-ups is another step toward the program’s expiration, which the FCC discussed in a letter to Congress in early January. Existing subscribers will still receive the discount until April, when, the FCC says, the program will officially run out of money unless Congress takes action to extend funding.
The change disproportionately affects minorities, people of color, veterans and seniors, according to a White House fact sheet released Tuesday. The sheet says 1 in 4 households participating in the ACP program are African American, 1 in 4 are Latino and nearly half are military families, along with 4 million seniors and 10 million Americans over the age of 50.
“Internet is like water. It’s an essential public good that should be affordable and accessible to everyone,” Tom Perez, senior advisor and assistant to the president and director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, told CNET.
“We would never consider turning off water pipes, right? So let’s not turn off high-speed internet. Because it really is a pipeline to opportunity and access to health care, to the business world and to educational opportunity.”
What to know if you’re affected
US President Joe Biden requested an additional $6 billion in funding from Congress last October that would carry the ACP through to the end of 2024. A bipartisan group of legislators also introduced a bill in January that would provide $7 billion to extend the program, but it faces significant roadblocks and a tight deadline.
The FCC is expected to begin notifying ACP participants later this month of the exact date the benefit will expire. Subscribers will have the option of paying an increased rate without the subsidy, canceling service altogether or switching to a cheaper package if available.