ACP: The Fight Isn’t Over

Starting in June, 23 million households in the US will have to make a difficult decision: pay more for their monthly internet bill or cut their budget somewhere else to pay for it or go without internet access. This is because the federal subsidy that one in six households has relied on to connect to the internet each month ran out of funds at the end of May. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has lapsed but isn’t dead yet. Its future lies in the hands of Congress. The National Lifeline Association continues to have optimism for the program’s future, which has rallied bipartisan support from policymakers and community members alike. We support a path to provide short-term funds for and incremental reforms to this essential program while working toward a long-term future as part of the federal Universal Service Fund. These bicameral, bipartisan bills indicate that support for the ACP remains strong. We aren’t out of options. Although the ACP is currently suspended, there continues to be movement toward the goal of re-funding it and re-connecting those who rely on it to stay connected.