The Affordable Connectivity Program is over—now what?

As of June 1, the Affordable Connectivity Program has officially come and gone. Question is, now what? Some providers—like Astound, Frontier and Verizon—have announced either alternatives to ACP or that they would subsidize the $30 benefit themselves for a period of time. Despite attempts from carriers to provide discounted internet service, the ACP going away still puts both consumers and internet service providers in a “fairly precarious state.” The ACP’s expiration also doesn’t bode well for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. According to Kathryn de Wit, director of Pew’s Broadband Access Initiative, states in their initial proposals had to outline how a provider that wins BEAD funding would make a low-cost service option available to ACP-eligible households. “Not only is the ACP subsidy critical to the success of BEAD, but states are also relying on the administrative infrastructure of the National Verifier to determine which households are eligible for a low-cost service option,” said de Wit.