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Providers of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides subsidies for nearly 23 million Americans to help pay for broadband services, have been formally notified by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that funding for the program will run out at the end of April.
The FCC has notified providers about the impending end of the ACP, which still has not seen renewed funding from the U.S. Congress despite separate attempts to extend funding for the program from the White House and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, in a letter addressed to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), who serves as the chair of the commerce, science, and transportation committee in the U.S. Senate, wrote that the connectivity provided by the ACP is “vital.”
Rosenworcel wrote about the results from an FCC commissioned study that surveyed ACP households in December of last year.
“The results demonstrated that prior to participating in the program, 68 percent of ACP households had inconsistent connectivity or zero connectivity,” Rosenworcel’s letter stated. “The same survey data showed that more than 75 percent of ACP households expect their service will be disrupted if the ACP ends because they will need to change their plans or stop internet service entirely.”
Rosenworcel’s letter comes as Congress has yet to pass The Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024, which has been sponsored in the House of Representatives by members of Congress from both parties, like Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and would provide an additional $7 billion to fund the program for another year.
Previously, in October, the Biden Administration announced a request for additional funding to bolster the ACP by extending free and discounted high-speed internet for eligible households through December 2024.
Rosenworcel’s letter said many households have contacted the FCC to express disappointment that they can no longer sign up for the program.
“Others have contacted the agency to express concern about the impending end of the program, noting its impact on older adults, families with school children, and military families at risk of losing their internet service without the ACP benefit,” Rosenworcel wrote. “They worry that without ACP support they will lose access to employment, education, health care, and more.”
Voices calling on Congress to renew the ACP have come from within the telecommunications industry and from mayors across America.
In January, a bipartisan letter signed by 174 mayors from around the United States joined a chorus of voices calling for legislators to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program.
The Rural Broadband Association (NTCA) has described the ACP as a program that plays a critical role in the affordability of services that can connect Americans.
“NTCA members have been active participants in the Affordable Connectivity Program, and a number of their customers rely upon the support this program provides to pay for broadband services month after month,” said Shirley Bloomfield, the NTCA’s CEO, last year shortly after the White House’s supplemental funding request. “We hope that this program that enjoys such widespread support will continue to play an important role in keeping Americans connected.”
