Affordability/Cost/Price

What is the economic benefit of the Affordable Connectivity Program to the health care system? In short, there are many ways that telehealth can reduce costs and improve outcomes.

Myrna Broncho realized just how necessary an internet connection can be after she broke her leg. Broncho needed nine surgeries and rehabilitation that took months.

As of June 1, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is officially exhausted. This means that the 23 million households that rely on it can no longer receive a $30 per month discount on fixed or mobile broadband service. Without the ACP, customers’ main option is the antiquated Lifeline program, which offers $9.25 per month toward broadband service.

For years, the federal government has avoided any attempt to resolve a long-standing problem: how to sustain funding for the Universal Service program. But perhaps that could change now that the lack of funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has gained substantial mindshare with the American public. Some stakeholders believe both problems can be solved by funding the ACP through the Universal Service Fund (USF) and expanding the types of entities that are required to pay to support the program.

On May 2, 2024, New Street Research Policy Advisor and Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Blair Levin testified before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband at a hearing entitled The Future of Broadband Affordability.

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) awarded $1,481,167 to help Wisconsin residents access essential telecommunications services. The PSC awarded a total of 24 grants from the 2024 rounds of the Nonprofit Access Grant Program, the Lifeline Outreach Grant Program, and the Telemedicine Equipment Grant Program, all of which are funded by the Universal Service Fund (USF). The USF was created to promote and assist with the availability and affordability of telecommunications services in Wisconsin. 

 The Affordable Connectivity Program provided a way to bridge the digital divide for over 23 million US households, but congressional inaction has led to its unfortunate end. The consequences will be devastating. Soon, many underserved families in rural and urban communities alike will have to make the difficult sacrifice of losing access to telehealth services, online learning, employment opportunities, and so much more. Reliable broadband is essential to our way of life and economy. Without it, millions of families relying on the ACP for internet access will be left out and left behind.

“It is incredibly disappointing and just plain shameful that one of the most successful bipartisan programs to close the digital divide has lapsed. Every Congressional district in the country had constituents benefiting from this program, and still, Congress failed to deliver the funding needed to ensure that over 23 million households won’t lose connectivity. While the efforts made by the program's most ardent supporters in both Chambers were commendable, the resulting lapse of ACP makes it clear that the Congressional appropriations process is ill-suited for funding affordable broadband.

At the end of May, the Affordable Connectivity Program, which helps over 23 million low-income households access high-speed internet at home, officially ran out of funding. This lapse occurs despite strong support from the White House and lawmakers of both parties, as well as the backing of four out of five Americans. The focus must now shift to delivering a long-term fix. Fortunately, the solution is staring us in the face.