A critical subsidy that supports broadband internet access for low-income households is set to expire later this year, threatening President Joe Biden’s plan to provide internet access to all Americans.
The Affordable Connectivity Program spent $14.2 billion to pay some of the costs of getting high-speed internet to low-income and tribal households.
Households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level can receive $30 a month to cover connection costs, and households living on tribal land can receive up to $75 a month.
According to some analyses, the program makes it more likely that providers will incur the costs of extending infrastructure to underserved areas.
But the program is funded by Congress and will run out of funding unless it is extended beyond its current deadline of April 2024.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has announced that it will stop accepting new subscribers on February 8, and once the April deadline passes, currently enrolled households will no longer receive subsidies.
In his broadband push, President Biden has drawn similarities to New Deal-era programs that electrified much of the country.
“Our goal is to connect every person in America to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet by 2030, just as President Franklin Roosevelt did a generation ago.” he said on the recent campaign trail in North Carolina.
“High-speed internet is no longer a luxury; it’s an absolute necessity,” he said. “Investing in high-speed internet also means good-paying jobs.”
A bipartisan group of members of Congress introduced a bill in January to extend funding for the program by $7 billion. The bill has not been advanced further.
