The future of the Affordable Connectivity Program, a federal program that provides internet access to low-income households, is in limbo. Unless Congress steps in to provide funding, more than 23 million households, including thousands in San Benito County, will be cut off from the program by April of this year, when funding is expected to run out.
The program provides up to $30 per month of internet service to eligible households and up to $75 to eligible households living on tribal land.
According to the Federal Communications Commission, ACP will stop accepting new applications and registrations on February 7th. Households that are approved and enrolled by February 8th and receive a monthly discount on the program will continue to receive the discount until funds run out.
The ACP was created in 2021 when Congress passed the bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which allocated $14.2 billion to the FCC to create programs to close the digital divide. After the 2020 coronavirus pandemic lockdown, schools switched to remote learning, highlighting the disparity in internet access among low-income households.
In San Benito County, 2,642 of the 7,723 households eligible for benefits are enrolled. The end of ACP means uncertainty for low-income students who need to stay connected to the internet.
Locally, the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership is focused on providing accessible and reliable broadband internet to the tri-county area of San Benito, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Counties.
MBEP is sounding the alarm that the end of ACP is near and is calling on local governments and internet service providers to spread the word.
“Access to affordable and reliable internet is essential to the quality of life and economic well-being of the Monterey Bay region,” Tara Goraya, president and CEO of MBEP, said in a press release. But too many households struggle to pay for monthly broadband service.” “We must work together as a region to ensure eligible households register by the February 7 deadline and advocate for policies and programs that advance digital equity.”
But local groups are not the only ones concerned about the impact of ending the ACP. In a letter to Congress dated Jan. 16, the U.S. Conference of Mayors asked senators and representatives to extend the service.
“In America, access to high-quality, affordable broadband has become essential,” the letter says. “High-speed internet is a necessity for nearly all Americans, connecting people to educational opportunities, telehealth, and, of course, job and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Comcast, the nation’s largest home internet service provider, has also expressed concern about how ending the ACP will affect the stability of low-income households.
Comcast’s Project UP is the company’s $1 billion digital equity initiative to connect low-income households with programs like ACP. The company recently commissioned a report from Benenson Strategy Group, which found that “75% of ACP participants will lose access to critical health care services such as online appointments and prescription refills. It turned out that he was afraid of something.
The report also found that 81% of parents in households receiving benefits were concerned that their children would fall behind in school if they did not have access to the internet.
