Chairwoman Rosenworcel's Final Update to Members of Congress Regarding the Affordable Connectivity Program

On May 1, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote to Congressional leaders with a final update on the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). April was the last month of full funding for the program, which will fully exhaust during May without additional funding from Congress. "If additional funding is not promptly appropriated, the one in six households nationwide that rely on this program will face rising bills and increasing disconnection. In fact, according to our survey of ACP beneficiaries, 77 percent of participating households report that losing this benefit would disrupt their service by making them change their plan or lead to them dropping internet service entirely." Chairwoman Rosenworcel also warned that the end of the ACP will diminish the impact of the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. "The ACP helps ensure broadband service is affordable, which contributes to the sustainability of the newly-deployed networks that will be built with this historic national investment. This in turn allows BEAD funding to stretch further and incentivizes provider participation in rural and other high-cost areas. Conversely, by cutting the ACP now it will reduce the number of households that can afford service, raising the cost of networks supported by BEAD funding and threatening our shared goal of achieving internet for all."