Time Is Ticking on the Affordable Connectivity Program

As an end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) funding looms, a congressional briefing was held to discuss what an end to the program could mean and its importance for achieving digital equity. Estimates from the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation predict that ACP funding will run out in 2024 if action is not taken to re-fund the program. If it does, many people will no longer be able to afford the Internet service they likely have come to rely on. Doug McCollough, Chief Information Officer for the city of Dublin (OH) underlined that while there are aspects of the program that could be improved upon, its impact cannot be ignored. The ACP allows governments to pursue other grant opportunities that supplement this program, funding which would not be obtainable in the program’s absence, he said. Further, McCollough explained that the program depends on building trust and credibility with constituents participating in it. The populations who could benefit most from a federal subsidy program like this may initially be suspicious of government programs, and as such, government agencies have worked diligently with trusted community organizations to increase awareness and enrollment. Trust building has been one of the slower pieces of enacting the program, but it is one in which agencies have invested significant time and energy. Agencies and organizations that have been encouraging households to enroll will put their credibility on the line, he said. Some challenges with the program that were brought up during the event included the limited capacity of small Internet service providers in meeting the federal reporting requirements, as well as the risk of fraudulent actors sharing misleading ACP enrollment information. However, all the speakers agreed that it is currently a critical piece of serving some of their most vulnerable constituents.