This Austin blues family is one of 23 million American households benefitting from ACP. Watch the video to see how internet access has expanded their possibilities and brought joy into their lives.

What Is ACP?

• Eligible households receive up to a $30 monthly benefit for internet (up to $75 monthly benefit for households on Tribal lands) and a one-time benefit of up to $100 off an eligible device.
• ACP helps people in households with low incomes, including families with children who receive free and reduced-price school lunches and people who receive veterans pension and survivor benefits. 

See Walter’s story on CBS News, Jan. 8, 2024: “Millions could lose affordable access to internet service with FCC program set to run out of funds”

Choose 1-3 benefits/populations to focus on in your conversation. Think about what points will resonate most with your listener/audience.

• [# OF ENROLLED HOUSEHOLDS] households rely on ACP for broadband in our state.
• [# OF ENROLLED HOUSEHOLDS] households rely on ACP for broadband in Tribal lands.
• ACP is an important tool in closing the homework gap–the opportunity divide between students who have home internet access and those who don’t.  
• Jobseekers need home internet access to perform all the functions of gaining employment – from searching for job openings to filling out applications, communicating with potential employers by email, and even doing virtual interviews.
• ACP helps Americans get needed medical attention and wellness care through telehealth appointments, use internet-enabled medical devices, and exchange critical information with their doctors even when they’re not able to physically go into an office. 
• ACP helps older adults stay socially engaged with their families and friends, access health information, get community updates and news, and even order groceries. Adults 65+ make up 20 percent of ACP recipient households.

Bipartisan Support for ACP 

The need for affordable broadband is so essential that it unites people from across the geographic and political spectrums. 

Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024

On January 10, 2024 a bipartisan and bicameral group of legislatures introduced the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act. The bill provides $7 billion in funding to continue the ACP program through the end of 2024.

Among voters, ACP has broad support: 

• 78 percent of voters support continuing ACP 
  • 64% of Republicans; 70% of Independents; and 95% of Democrats
• People across geographic areas support continuing ACP
  • 81% of urban voters; 78% of suburban; and 68% of rural voters

Benefits of ACP for ISPs and Federal Initiatives

• Internet service providers can get more consumers on their networks, which helps support the business case for deploying broadband network infrastructure. In other words, areas that are currently unconnected may get internet access faster if ACP continues. 
• Research shows that broadband benefit programs for low-income households improve their employment rates and earnings–this gives a boost to the economy as a whole.
• ACP supports the success of other federal broadband initiatives, such as the Federal Capital Projects Fund (CPF) and Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which both require participation in the ACP and/or proposed strategies to address affordability issues.