Over 900,000 North Carolina households to lose affordable internet if federal funding is not renewed

Over 900,000 households in North Carolina will lose access to affordable internet at the end of April if Congress does not give more funding to the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The program provides eligible low-income households with a discount of up to $30 per month on internet service. With funding for the program set to run out this month, affordable internet is in jeopardy for many North Carolinians. The ACP is a key part of closing the digital divide, the gap between those who can access technology, the internet and digital literacy training, and those who cannot, according to the North Carolina Division of Broadband and Digital Equity. ACP participants are spread across rural and urban areas of the state. A study from the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society found that there were over 217,000 rural households in the state enrolled in the ACP as of June 2023.