As Funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program Ends, Commissioner Starks Urges Congress to Act

Today, the bipartisan Affordable Connectivity Program expires.  This will cause real harm to millions of Americans.  ACP is the most effective program we have ever had in closing the digital divide.  Over 23 million households enrolled in ACP, realizing the benefits of affordable, high-speed broadband.  And now we are leaving them behind. Let’s put that 23 million in context.  That’s one in six households in the country.  Millions of veterans, seniors, families of color, and households with children.  Americans living on Tribal lands, urban areas, and rural areas – where ACP outperformed enrollment expectations.... Not only does the end of ACP impact these individual Americans, it also has significant consequences for our nationwide broadband infrastructure deployment efforts.  ACP works hand in glove with the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program, reducing the subsidy necessary to support ISP network deployment.  Losing ACP means that we will be handcuffing the $42.5 billion working to build new networks that will reach primarily rural communities.  There is bipartisan legislation pending in Congress to re-fund ACP, a vital and life-changing program for Americans everywhere.  The time to act is now.  Broadband is at the center of modern, everyday life – it powers our work, education, finance, healthcare, communication, entertainment, and more.  Connecting Americans, including the millions who struggle to afford broadband, is essential for both their future and the future of the country.