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Analysis
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently announced that 17 million people have signed up for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides a monthly discount for people on their broadband bills.
We’ve written about the ACP a few times over the last few months, but the latest number of enrollees comes shortly after the FCC announced that it would be boosting awareness about the program.
The ACP was created as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law and an earlier version of it was created amid the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it highlighted the country’s long-standing digital divide. The program offers monthly discounts to eligible Americans for their broadband bills and offers a one-time discount for people to buy devices to help them get online.
“As of today, seventeen million households have enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program. No small feat. But we aren’t stopping there. We continue to look for ways to reach more people who could benefit from its support,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. “Our application enhancements roll-out is part of our ongoing work to improve the consumer experience with the program, so even more families can get the support they need to get online and stay online.”
The agency said it has made “a series of enhancements” to help people sign up for the program, including decreasing steps and simplifying language in the enrollment process.
Some of the criteria for households to be eligible for the program include: being enrolled in SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, WIC, or Lifeline, or having a child enrolled in a free or reduced-price lunch program, among other things.
Why it matters
There’s been a lot of talk about narrowing the country’s digital divide. That divide includes those who have access to the internet, but also whether or not they have access to affordable internet.
While physical access to the internet tends to get a lot of focus, the cost of broadband is also another barrier that blocks people from accessing the internet—a core component of everyday life. The ACP can help with that, as a survey in 2021 found that 26% of Americans worried about being to able to pay their broadband bill.
As word gets out about the program, more people are signing up. That’s a good thing, since another study in 2021 found that 30 million people who were eligible for the earlier version of the ACP (called the Emergency Broadband Benefit) hadn’t signed up for it.