Today marks the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program, a landmark piece of U.S. government legislation that aimed to make it easier for people to afford an internet connection in their homes. The program’s end marks a big shift, with the cessation of benefits set to affect millions of Americans who might need them most.
In 2021, the US Congress passed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal. It was a massive, ambitious piece of legislation that aimed to shore up a variety of floundering industries, including transit networks, energy systems and public utilities. The ACP was part of that deal. It set aside $14.2 billion to fund credits that could help low-income households afford high-speed internet. If a family’s household income was below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guideline per year, they were eligible for a $30 monthly credit on their broadband bill. People living on Tribal lands were eligible to receive up to $75.
Today, all that is going away. It’s certainly not an ideal situation, considering that access to the internet is a necessity in modern society, especially in the post-COVID era, when remote work has been normalized. The problem is funding. Like with any federal funding, there's a limit to how long a program can go on without being renewed by Congress. The Biden administration has made several pleas to lawmakers to save the program.
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