Advocate remains hopeful ACP funding will be renewed as new enrollment freezes

Enrollment for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has frozen, as of 11:59 pm on February 7, according to the website for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), but advocates like Gigi Sohn believe that momentum is on their side to keep the program alive. Sohn, the American Association for Public Broadband’s executive director, has been a leading voice to keep the program, which provides subsidies for nearly 23 million Americans to help pay for broadband services. She said her organization has recorded more than 400,000 “touches,” also known as individual outreaches, to US legislators on behalf of efforts to save the ACP. Sohn said some key Republicans on Capitol Hill want to reform the ACP before giving the program more money, but added that she doesn’t think there is enough time to reform the program before funding expires in April of this year. She said those conversations should have happened a year ago.