After the Affordable Connectivity Program, home Internet access on tribal lands ticks up

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a critical lack of digital equity in the United States, particularly in Indian Country. As previous Center for Indian Country Development (CICD) research has shown, before the pandemic households on federally recognized reservations were less likely to have home Internet and faced substantially higher prices for the most basic home Internet plans compared to households living outside of reservations. COVID-19 exacerbated that digital divide. In response, in December 2021 the U.S. government launched the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Before sunsetting in June 2024, the ACP subsidized the monthly cost of high-speed Internet for low-income families. Our analysis finds higher ACP enrollment among eligible households on tribal lands than on non-tribal lands.