Millions of American households will soon see a steep increase, with Black and Hispanic families bearing most of the burden.
In April 2024, the Affordable Connectivity Program will officially run out of money. The federal program offers monthly subsidies of $30 to $75 to help low-income households pay for home internet.
It was initially born out of a pandemic-era program called the Emergency Broadband Benefit in 2021, which was replaced six months later by the longer-term ACP when Congress devoted $14.2 billion to the program as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
In October, President Joe Biden recently requested an additional $6 billion in funding from Congress 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 has not yet been brought to a vote.
Key Affordable Connectivity Program dates:
- January 25, 2024: ACP users begin to receive notices from their internet providers about the end of the benefit. This includes information on timing and the impact on the user’s internet bill.
- February 8, 2024: The FCC stopped accepting new applications for the ACP.
- March 2024: Households enrolled in the ACP will receive additional notices from their internet provider about the last month households will see the benefit applied to their internet bill. Providers are required to start sending notices 15 days after the FCC confirms the final fully funded month of the program.
- April 2024: The FCC expects ACP funding to run out in April 2024 if Congress does not extend the program. Households that are enrolled in the ACP will continue to receive their discount on internet service through April 2024. This date is an estimate and may change.
How the ACP has helped close the digital divide
More than 23 million households are currently enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program — around half of all eligible households. That means around 20% of all broadband subscriptions in the US are relying on the subsidy.
“We’ve seen millions of families get affordably connected, when previously they were entirely priced out of the market,” said Christopher Ali, professor of telecommunications at Penn State University. “It’s been a success, and that success should be what is fueling Congress to make the appropriations permanent.”