With the ACP Winding Down, Advocates Tout Its Value

As the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) winds down, federal officials are hopeful Congress will reauthorize funding for the widely popular project that helps subsidize monthly Internet service for low-income households. “This program is making a difference. It really is unique, and very important,” said Alejandro Roark, chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The ACP, which provides a subsidy of $30 to $75 a month for broadband and helps fund Internet access in more than 22 million homes nationwide, is expected to run out of money in May. Supporters and broadband advocates have urged Congress to approve the ACP Extension Act, which would provide $7 billion to continue funding the program, which is often characterized as having broad bipartisan support. The program is often cited as a success story for enabling broadband equity across the country. Roark said it “has accomplished more over the course of the past two years to bridge our country’s digital opportunity divide than any other stand-alone effort in our nation’s history.”