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- Affordable connectivity programs provide low-income households with access to the internet.
- Millions of people could lose access to the internet if funding for federal programs dries up after April.
- An FCC official told CNN that the popular bipartisan program is ending “because of politics, not policy.”
Millions of Americans will be at risk of having their internet access disrupted if funding for critical government programs runs out next month.
The Affordable Connectivity Program has been helping low-income households access the internet since it was launched in 2021 by the Federal Communications Commission. The program offers up to $30 off monthly internet service for eligible households, and up to $75 off for households living on eligible tribal lands. monthly. According to the F.C.C.
But ACP is shrinking. The FCC said it stopped accepting new applications and registrations in February, and April will be the last month the program will be fully funded. U.S. lawmakers appear to have stopped short of approving the Biden administration’s request for an additional $6 billion to update the program.
If the program is cancelled, the digital divide will worsen, and many older Americans, as well as many older adults, will leave. People living in rural areas and the south don’t have access to the internet. A survey of 801 ACP participants found that 19% of ACP participants lived in households with older adults, 26% lived in rural areas, and 41% lived in the South. From Comcast and Benenson Strategy Group. Almost half come from military families.
Gigi Thorne, a former FCC official, said, “Because of political maneuvering, nearly 60 million Americans are forced to make difficult choices between paying their internet bill and paying for food, rent, and other utilities.” “This will further widen the digital divide in this country.” CNN. “It’s embarrassing that a popular bipartisan program that had the support of nearly half of Congress ended because of politics rather than policy.”
According to the survey, ACP has strong bipartisan support, with 62% of Republicans, 78% of independents, and 96% of Democrats supporting the program. The survey of 1,000 registered voters was conducted in December by Public Opinion Strategies and RG Strategies.
Once the program ends, some ACP subscribers say they have to work harder just to stay online. Kamesha Scott, a 29-year-old St. Louis mother of two who works two jobs at a restaurant handling takeout orders and delivering packages for Amazon, said she plans to take on extra shifts. told CNN.
And ACP closures are likely to disproportionately impact tribal communities. “I’m not saying that other people might not need it. [ACP funding,] But they don’t need it as much as we do on reservations and tribal areas, where we’re so much below the poverty line,” said Sie Communications, general manager of Montana-based internet service provider. Brian DeMarco said. according to of Telecommunications industry news organization Fierce Telecom.
The media said ACP recipients represent about 15% of Siyeh Communications’ customer base, or about 2,000 subscribers on the Blackfeet Reservation. “So, to completely eliminate ACP without looking at anything, [that]I think the government is very reckless. ”
FCC, Son; Siyeh Communications and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment from BI.
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