Affordable Connectivity Program | Rep. Adriano Espaillat

Image says: 23 Million American households rely on the Affordable Connectivity Program for jobs, schoolwork, and health care. Congress must save the ACP.

What is the Affordable Connectivity Program?

For millions of Americans, the monthly cost of internet service prevents them from having a home Internet connection. Since its creation in 2021, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has become a critical tool to help bridge the digital divide by providing Internet services for low- to middle-income households. In New York, almost 50% of eligible households currently take advantage of this federal benefit, and in my district, roughly 150,000 households benefit from this digital lifeline program. No one should have to choose between paying for groceries, or their home internet bill in the 21st century.

The Affordable Connectivity Program is the only program that provides families experiencing financial challenges and economic hardships with up to $30 per month towards their internet bills and a one-time subsidy of $100 towards desktops, laptops, or tablets for eligible families. The last fully funded month of the program is April 2024, and if the program is no longer funded, individuals will lose this critical benefit.

Why is the program ending?

The $14.2 billion Congress initially made available for the program in 2021 is running out. Due to the lack of sense of urgency by House Republican Leadership to extend and fund the subsidy program, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that April 2024 will be the last month that households will receive the full internet discount, as they have received in prior months. While households may receive a partial internet discount in May 2024, they will no longer receive the benefit if Congress fails to act.

Read more details on the “Wind Down” process the FCC has started, here.

How am I fighting for affordable internet in households in Congress?

I am addressing this issue head on and have been urging House Republicans for months to extend and fund the program to keep monthly internet bills for low- and middle-income households low. I’m fighting for an extension to keep you connected!

Press Release: In November 2023, I led Members of the New York Delegation in a letter urging Republican House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Granger and Subcommittee Chairman Womack to allocate $7 billion to continue the Affordable Connectivity Program that provides Internet access to over 1.5 million New Yorkers and 21 million American households nationwide.

Press Release: On March 20th, I co-signed a bipartisan letter led by Rep. Yvette Clark with 158 colleagues to urge House and Senate Leadership to work to preserve the Affordable Connectivity Program, which is set to begin running out of funds next month. Read the full letter here.

Press Release: In early 2024, I co-sponsored Rep. Yvette Clark’s bipartisan, bicameral bill, H.R. 6929 - the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, which would allocate $7 billion to continue the program. Read the full bill text here.

Amplify my tweet, Instagram post, and Facebook post, to urge House Republican action to preserve the ACP.