Nearly 900,000 low-income households in North Carolina could lose access to broadband unless Congress steps in, reported NC Health News. Hundreds of thousands of residents rely on the $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) enacted by Congress in 2021 to access reduced and free internet services. Now, the funding is about to dry up.
According to Inside Towers, the FCC stopped accepting new subsidy applications in February because funds for existing enrollees are expected to run out in April. Congress is reviewing a request to approve $6 billion in supplemental funding, but the deadline is approaching.
“We have real concerns that nothing will get done before the money runs out,” said John Graham, president of the N.C. Telehealth Network Association. Graham and others are concerned that “a lot of people are going to have to disconnect,” which means losing access to telehealth. This is a major concern, especially for residents in the state’s 20 western counties [part of the Appalachian region], where a “disproportionate number of individuals live without access to basic health care services.”
According to Graham, affordability is one of rural households’ most significant barriers to broadband adoption. The ACP saved eligible recipients $30 to $75 a month on high-speed internet, often amounting to free service, reported NC Health News.
Graham noted that the loss of subsidies could “create real issues of trust” among rural populations. If the program is restarted, they may not be willing to re-enroll.
Emily Gangi, policy director for the N.C. Division of Broadband and Digital Equity, said the state’s plan to invest $2.5 billion to expand broadband infrastructure relies on residents being able to enroll in services. She added, “It’s not going to do any good to spend $2 billion to build that infrastructure if so many households in our state can’t afford to subscribe to it.”
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