Last week, registration for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides discounts to low-income families who can’t afford internet service, was forced to close due to Congressional inaction and lack of funding.
During the implementation of the bipartisan Infrastructure Act, Congress appropriated $14.2 billion to the ACP. The program aligns with the infrastructure bill’s $65 billion investment in high-speed broadband renewal and expansion across the country, allowing internet service providers to build high-speed connections to historically underserved areas. This will serve as an incentive and help attract new households to the service. You will be able to afford the service.
Since its launch in 2021, ACP has helped more than 23 million households in communities across the country, making significant changes in their ability to access critical services such as educational resources, telehealth services, job opportunities, and government programs. But funding for this program is now running dry, putting these households, and the thousands of good broadband jobs the infrastructure bill is set to create, at risk unless Congress soon reauthorizes the ACP. become.
Members of the Communications Workers of America, who build, maintain, and support our nation’s communications infrastructure, have seen firsthand the need for ACP in urban, suburban, and rural areas. We will ensure fair access to reliable, high-speed internet service and ensure that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)’s $65 billion investment in broadband build-out fulfills the “jobs” portion of this important law. We are working hard to ensure that we accomplish this. It means creating good jobs for workers in states across the country, with fair wages and benefits that empower more families.
Not only is the ACP a lifeline for low-income households, it is also key to the success of the bipartisan Infrastructure Act’s broadband investments. When providers evaluate building connectivity in unserved or underserved areas, they consider the economics of continued service to those areas. When more Americans have access to internet service, there will be more reasons to move into these fields, and more good jobs will be created to build and support new connections. But without the ACP, internet service providers would have less incentive to build high-speed broadband in areas that need it most, putting at risk the bipartisan Infrastructure Act’s historic investments in bridging the digital divide. You will be exposed.
Frankly, at a time when cost is one of the biggest barriers facing households across the country, it would be a big mistake to cut back on the very programs that help make broadband affordable around the world. About one-third of Americans who don’t have broadband access say it’s because they can’t afford it. If customers in low-income areas don’t have access to service, providers may have no incentive to build broadband into already underserved areas. This could leave hundreds of thousands of Americans without the life-saving services they need and thousands of broadband workers without jobs to support their families.
We cannot jeopardize this historic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to close our nation’s digital divide by running out of ACP. Representative Yvette D. Clark (D.Y.) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) know how important this program is to families across the country and to the future of our economy. recently introduced an extension of the bipartisan Affordable Connections Program. The 2024 Act provides $7 billion in funding to the ACP, ensuring this critical program continues through the end of the year. With internet access for millions of Americans and thousands of good-paying jobs at stake, Congress must act quickly to maintain funding for this critical federal program. yeah.
To grow our nation’s economy equitably and sustainably, all Americans, regardless of their zip code, must have access to broadband internet. At the end of the day, making the internet more affordable will be a win-win for everyone. Through the stability created by good-paying, career-oriented jobs, we can connect millions of families to needed services while paying dividends to economic growth across the country. It’s time to use public funds to advance the public good.
Claude Cummings Jr. is president of the Communications Workers of America.
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