On Monday, May 9, 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration introduced the Affordable Connectivity Program, which will reduce high-speed internet costs for tens of millions of eligible households.
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will reduce high-speed internet costs for tens of millions of American households by up to $30 a month, or up to $75 a month on Tribal lands. The Biden-Harris Administration secured commitments from twenty internet service providers, covering more than 80% of the U.S. population, to either increase speeds or cut prices of internet service. ACP-eligible households will pay no more than $30 a month for internet service. Households will be eligible for the ACP if their income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level or if a member of the household either participates in one of numerous government benefit programs or meets the eligibility criteria for a participating internet service provider’s existing low-income internet program. 20 private sector internet service providers have committed to offering at least one high-speed internet plan for $30 a month or less, with no additional fees and no data caps. A high-speed internet plan under the ACP requires the plan to offer download speeds of at least 100 Megabits per second everywhere that a provider’s infrastructure is capable of doing so.
In addition to securing commitments from the private sector, the Biden-Harris Administration is launching a comprehensive effort to ensure ACP-eligible households take advantage of this new program by launching a website with details on the new program, reaching out to eligible households through federal agencies, partnering with states and cities to spread the news, and collaborating with public interest organizations to conduct direct enrollment and outreach. The Biden-Harris Administration also plans to provide tens of billions of dollars in the form of new grant programs for broadband infrastructure construction. New rules will require providers to eventually display a “Broadband Nutrition Label” so that consumers can more easily shop for high-speed internet plans. Sweetheart deals between internet service providers and apartment landlords will be banned under new rules adopted by the FCC.
Additional Reading
FACT SHEET: President Biden and Vice President Harris Reduce High-Speed Internet Costs for Millions of Americans, The White House (May 9, 2022)
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