The Transformative Power of the Affordable Connectivity Program

The federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) announced a new milestone. Launched nearly two years ago in 2021, it has now connected more than 20 million households to the Internet. This is a remarkable achievement and we at Comcast are proud to participate in the program. The ACP provides families with a $30/month benefit, $75/month on Tribal lands, toward their Internet bill. When applied to Comcast’s Internet Essentials or Internet Essentials Plus tiers, it makes connectivity to the Internet effectively free. However, we still face the challenge of getting millions more ACP-eligible households to enroll. Great progress is being made to close the digital divide, but too many families, in communities across the nation, have yet to take advantage of this once-in-a-generation opportunity. Since day one, Comcast has been working to raise awareness about the ACP, and we are investing in hundreds of non-profit partners because closing that divide cannot be achieved without collaboration. For this reason, we are supporting Digital Navigators – people who teach digital skills at the neighborhood level – because we know they are key to the trust-building necessary for success. Unfortunately, the success of the ACP is causing an emerging dilemma. The $14 billion allocated to the FCC to provide vouchers to eligible households is likely to be exhausted early in 2024. Congress and the Biden Administration must work together to ensure that the ACP is fully funded – so tens of millions of Americans aren’t left without affordable Internet when the initial allocation of funding for the program is runs out.