Affordable Connectivity Program
By Brittney Sherman
On May 9th, the federal government announced that they secured commitments from 20 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to offer at least one high speed internet plan with a minimum of 100 MB download for no more than $30 a month, with the guarantee of no additional fees or data caps, to an estimated 48 million households who qualify for it across the country. This is known as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
ACP was established through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021. It allocated $14.2 billion to the program to extend the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB) that was established through a federal COVID relief package, and amended the program in several ways including adding additional consumer protections, reducing the monthly subsidy amount from $50 to $30, and extending eligibility requirements such that ISPs are required to open all their plans to ACP. This new commitment ensures that ACP-eligible households, with access to the committed ISPs, will be able to have internet in their homes with no out of pocket costs.
The federal government also announced support for streamlined and simplified ACP enrollment including:
-The launch of a new, streamlined website to enroll in ACP
-A campaign to reach ACP-eligible households through coordinated messaging and outreach through the federal programs they’re already enrolled in (like Social Security)
-Partnerships with state and city governments to conduct outreach
-Collaborations with public interest organizations who provide enrollment support
To learn more about the Affordable Connectivity Program go HERE
To enroll in the program go HERE
Have questions? Contact City of Morgan Hill Economic Development Director Matt Mahood at Matt.Mahood@morganhill.ca.gov
