Affordability High Speed Internet Program Ends Today
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The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) that provides families with $30 per month toward internet service officially ends today. The FCC launched the program in December 2021. According to the White House Press Office, ACP is “one of the largest and most successful internet affordability programs in the country’s history.” More than 23 million homes benefitted by saving $30-$75 each month on the internet bill. ACP provides millions of families access to the internet. The Pew Research Center says that four of ten Americans are constantly online. Access to the internet is essential for job applications, research, healthcare, education, social media and more. It’s a human rights issue. And the digital divide is real. Pew’s research also documents the large gaps that exist between low-income and high-income citizens who have a broadband subscription. Lower income families rely on their smartphones for online services. According to a report from the Governor’s office, almost 30% of North Carolina residents, 1.1 million households, don’t have access to high-speed internet service and about 50% can’t afford the $60 monthly subscription. A few years ago, Governor Cooper recommended investing $1.2 billion in federal American Rescue Plan funds to address infrastructure and access, affordability and digital literacy. (ncbroadband.gov)
Fourteen internet service providers are voluntarily offering their current ACP subscribers and eligible households a high-speed internet plan for $30 per month or less until the end of the year. That list includes: Allo Fiber, Altafiber, Astound Broadband, AT&T, Comcast, Cox, IdeaTek, Mediacom, MLGC, Optimum, Spectrum (Charter Communications), Starry, Verizon and Vermont Telephone Company.
