C|Net posts an article on the impact of the loss of Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) money…
Former ACP enrollees have had to make a number of compromises to keep their internet on since it ended a year ago. A January survey from the National Lifeline Association found that nearly 40% of people enrolled in the program said they had to reduce spending on food to afford their new internet bill. 41% cut back on necessities like clothing, heat and doctor’s visits. Another 18% said their kids had difficulty completing homework assignments.
But the number that stuck out to me the most was the 64% who said they’re unable to maintain regular contact with family and loved ones. That was something I heard echoed by nearly every ACP user I spoke with for this piece: Life without an internet connection can be incredibly isolating.
Remind us of the history…
The ACP provided $30 a month to help low-income households pay for an internet connection, or $75 for people living on Tribal lands. The program accepted households at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, or $60,000 for a family of four. Prices to get online have only gone up since it ended, with 63% of customers reporting higher internet bills than the year before in a recent CNET survey.
Despite broad bipartisan support from voters — and from former senator, now Vice President J.D. Vance, who co-sponsored a bill in 2024 to extend the ACP — the program officially ran out of money one year ago. Starting in June 2024, ACP users were faced with a stark choice: find an extra $30 in their monthly budget or cut the cord on their internet connection entirely.
“It was just a sad moment,” Burrell said. “I was praying that they’d let us keep it. But it was over.”
And the impact of the loss…
Those projections are no longer theoretical. A recent Ookla report found that the broadband divide grew in 32 states in the second half of 2024, which lines up almost exactly with the ACP’s end. (Disclaimer: Ookla is owned by Ziff Davis, the same company that owns CNET.)