Who is About to Lose their ACP Discount?

The Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), established in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is expected to end this Spring if it does not receive additional funding from Congress soon. The funding situation is so dire that this week the FCC halted any new enrollments in the program. For millions of people eligible for the ACP, affordable broadband service is getting harder to obtain. And, as ACP funding dwindles, over 23 million households relying on the program for affordable broadband are facing a $30 per month increase in their internet access bills. For many, this will lead to hard decisions about choosing between staying connected and buying groceries or medical care. But who are the people who qualify for the ACP? Who are the people at risk of losing service if ACP is not refunded? In less than three years since the FCC launched the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (the precursor to ACP), over 23 million households have enrolled in ACP. But over 50 million households are eligible for the benefit, meaning that more than half the households Congress intended to aid are not yet enjoying more affordable broadband service. Read on to understand who these people are and why the ACP is so valuable to them.