The Affordable Connectivity Program helped millions of rural and tribal Americans gain Internet access -- now what?

ACP helped rural and tribal resident bridge the
digital divide. (Adobe Stock photo)

During the pandemic years, rural and tribal communities learned to rely on affordable internet services provided in part by the federal Affordable Connectivity Program. The more dependable and budget-friendly connection helped residents use the web for telehealth appointments, online ordering and remote learning, reports Sarah Jane Tribble of KFF Health News. In May, the ACP ran out of money, and many residents are considering what they may have to sacrifice to keep reliable internet service without the subsidy.

Although the ACP eventually enrolled around 23 million low-income households -- or one in six American families -- its funding was not renewed. "Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) challenged an effort to continue funding the program, saying during a commerce committee hearing that the program needed to be revamped," Tribble writes. Thune claimed that ACP did not reach those that "truly needed it."

Despite a hive of legislative workers trying to iron out the program's shortcomings, funding for ACP ended; however, the Biden administration "announced that more than a dozen companies — including AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast — would offer low-cost plans to ACP enrollees," Tribble reports. "The administration said those plans could affect as many as 10 million households."

Without the ACP, many rural families may be unable to bridge the digital divide. "According to a survey of participants released by the Federal Communications Commission, more than two-thirds of households had inconsistent or no internet connection before enrolling in the program," Tribble explains. "The FCC said that ending the program will affect about 3.4 million rural and more than 300,000 households in tribal areas."