Automatically transition emergency broadband benefit program enrollees into the affordable connectivity program, said the National Lifeline Association in a letter to FCC posted Tuesday in docket 20-445. Lifeline subscribers should also be automatically enrolled in the new program and all enrollees should be given an opt-out notice, NaLa said. The group wants a "benefit transfer integrity check" where ACP applicants agree to stay with their chosen provider for 30 days, except when moving out of a service area, before transferring to another provider. NaLa asked that the definition of a "connected device" also be amended to define a tablet by size and "other capabilities related to online learning or telework rather than by the ability to make cellular calls."
Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
What is the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)?
The Affordable Connectivity Program was a recently expired subsidy for low-income households to lower the cost of purchasing broadband internet and connected devices. The program was signed into law as part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and administered by the FCC up until June 1, 2024, due to expiration of the ACP’s funding.
Will the ACP Return?
Congress continues to debate restoring ACP funding, with immediate next steps likely to come from the Senate Commerce Committee or Congressional discussions on revising the Universal Service Fund.