Congress owes it to Americans to fund the Affordable Connectivity Program

Members of the Communications Workers of America—who build, maintain and support our nation’s communications infrastructure—have seen firsthand the need for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) in our cities, suburbs and rural areas. We are committed to ensuring equitable access to reliable high-speed internet service and ensuring that the $65 billion investment in broadband buildout from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) fulfills the “jobs” part of this critical legislation. That means creating good jobs for workers across states throughout the country, with fair wages and benefits that will lift up more families. Besides being a lifeline for low-income households, the ACP is key to the success of the IIJA’s broadband investments. As providers evaluate building connections in unserved and underserved areas, they consider the economics of ongoing service to that area. If more Americans can afford internet service, there is more reason to build out to those areas—and more good jobs created to build and support new connections. But without the ACP, internet service providers will have less incentive to build high-speed broadband in areas that need it most—and we put at risk the IIJA’s historic investment in closing the digital divide. Frankly put, it would be a massive mistake to curtail the very program that is helping to make broadband universally affordable at a time when cost is one of the biggest barriers facing households across the nation. 

[Claude Cummings Jr. is president of the Communications Workers of America.]