UPDATE A bill to extend funding for the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was introduced in both the House and Senate on Wednesday. Inside Towers reported the measure to fully fund the program was in the works and predicted to be finalized this week. Without more appropriated funding, the program is expected to run out of money in May. Indeed, the FCC is planning to start winding down its ACP operations, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told lawmakers on Monday.
U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Reps. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the ACP Extension Act of 2024. It would provide $7 billion to fund the ACP. That’s $1 billion more than the White House proposed last fall.
The lawmakers said since its implementation, over 22.5 million households have used the program’s monthly discount of up to $30 for internet service, and up to $75 monthly for those living on Tribal lands. “The Affordable Connectivity Program has helped close the digital divide by connecting over 25,000 Vermont households to lower-cost internet—an essential for working, learning, and staying connected to our communities. Access to high-speed internet isn’t a luxury anymore, it’s a necessity. That’s why it’s never been so important to avoid this funding cliff and extend the ACP,” said Welch. He’s a member of the Senate Commerce Committee who also chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Rural Development and Energy Subcommittee.
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks called for more money to fund the program last March. “Momentum behind sustaining ACP continues to build, and millions of Americans are counting on us to find a solution. Let’s get it done,” he said.
More than 400 organizations support the bill, according to lawmakers. Those include: AARP, AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Communications Workers of America, Cox Communications, INCOMPAS, NAACP, NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association, T-Mobile, USTelecom, WIA, and WTA – Advocates for Rural Broadband.
WIA President/CEO Patrick Halley said the association supports the measure and “the $7 billion [the Act] would provide to help families afford the connectivity they need to thrive. We thank the strong bipartisan collection of congressional supporters for their leadership on this important issue and we urge swift passage in the Senate and the House before ACP funding lapses.”
USTelecom President/CEO Jonathan Spalter called the ACP Extension Act of 2024 “a critical and common-sense step towards keeping these millions of families online and fulfilling our nation’s bipartisan commitment to bridging the digital divide once and for all.”
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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