The new Affordable Connectivity Program, explained  

High-speed internet is a necessity of modern life, but expensive monthly payments and other obstacles can make the utility unattainable for many Americans, especially for those living in rural areas or on Tribal lands. It’s a problem that the Biden-Harris administration is looking to address through its $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) launched on December 31, 2021 by the Federal Communications Commission as part of the administration’s bipartisan infrastructure bill. High-speed internet is a necessity of modern life, but expensive monthly payments and other obstacles can make the utility unattainable for many Americans, especially for those living in rural areas or on Tribal lands. It’s a problem that the Biden-Harris administration is looking to address through its $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) launched on December 31, 2021 by the Federal Communications Commission as part of the administration’s bipartisan infrastructure bill. High-speed internet is a necessity of modern life, but expensive monthly payments and other obstacles can make the utility unattainable for many Americans, especially for those living in rural areas or on Tribal lands. It’s a problem that the Biden-Harris administration is looking to address through its $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) launched on December 31, 2021 by the Federal Communications Commission as part of the administration’s bipartisan infrastructure bill. Apart from the Emergency Broadband Benefit, Park says the ACP’s closest legislative counterpart is the federal Lifeline program, which has offered support to purchase telecommunications services for nearly four decades. However, the benefits offered by ACP are a big step up, she says. Through enrollment in this program, eligible households can receive a $30 monthly discount on internet service (Lifeline offers only $9.25) or up to a $75 per month discount (Lifeline offers just $34.25) for households on Tribal lands. Households can also receive up to a $100 discount for a one-time purchase of a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet. Park says these benefits could have a major positive impact on families struggling to meet their monthly payments. “We’re experiencing the highest inflation in 40 years, and paychecks can’t cover the rising costs of housing, food, utilities, including broadband service,” she says. “The ACP benefit should help lighten the monthly financial burdens that low-income households face and allow them to stay connected and online.” While 10 million enrollments in the program’s first two months is nothing to scoff at, it still may be significantly less than the number of households eligible for the program, according to a report published by the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society that looked at similar criteria for the Emergency Broadband Benefit. In the report, the authors write that 36 million Americans may qualify to receive this discount, meaning a little less than a third of eligible households have enrolled thus far. Despite the ACP’s current enrollment gap, Park says it’s still too soon to judge the program as a success or a failure, considering that it’s only been live for six weeks. In the months and years to come, Park says she hopes that ACP continues to see positive enrollment and that more service providers can be covered by the ACP benefit. “[These] are pretty great numbers, especially as the ACP program rules are still being finalized,” she notes.