ACP Crisis: Low-Income Households Face Financial Hardship without Federal Internet Benefit Extension

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a federal benefit designed to cover home internet service for low-income Americans, including individuals with disabilities and their families who rely on the internet for critical medical appointments and messages to healthcare providers through messaging platforms like Signal. Launched in 2021 as part of Congress’ bipartisan infrastructure law, it has gained widespread popularity among both political parties due to its over-indexing performance in rural areas where almost a quarter of users live. The program provides eligible households with up to $30 monthly credits from the government which helps many recipients cover their entire internet bill as they struggle to afford food and oil changes for their cars, let alone home internet service. However, the ACP is running out of funds due to Congress’ failure to approve more money despite its popularity among lawmakers in both parties. As a result, struggling Americans like Cindy Westman will receive only partial benefits before the program shuts down completely by May this year. The loss of subsidies could mean critical financial sacrifices for low-income households such as cutting back on groceries or seeking alternative ad hoc solutions that range from using fast-food restaurant Wi-Fi, borrowing mobile hotspot devices from public libraries to cellphone data services where available and affordable. If Congress allows the program to collapse, it would signify how out of touch they are with their voters as over 23 million households – about sixty millions individuals — risk skyrocketing annual costs ranging between hundreds to thousands of dollars for home internet service.