The federal government’s program to make internet service more affordable for millions of American households could end as early as April of this year unless Congress allocates more money to keep the program going.
The Affordable Connectivity Program provides vouchers of up to $30 per month toward internet service for low-income households, including those with children on free or reduced lunch, those on federal housing assistance, those on veterans pension or survivor benefits, or other qualifications.
But the Federal Communications Commission will stop accepting new enrollees on Thursday because the program is running out of money. The ACP was allocated $14.2 billion as part of the Infrastructure Law in 2021.
The Biden administration requested more money last year and a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate have introduced bills to provide another $7 billion to the program. But Congress has not taken up the bill yet.
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If the program does not get more funding, the FCC says those enrolled in the ACP will continue to get their benefits through April. Notices started going out late last month to participating households through their internet providers.
The FCC says the date is an estimate and things may change. Part of the reason the agency is cutting off enrollment is to stretch out the remaining funds as long as they can.
Nearly 23 million people receive a discount on internet service through the program, including nearly 1.7 million Floridians, according to the Biden Administration.
The FCC says affected households should call their internet company with any questions about how the end of the ACP will affect their monthly bill, and ask what they can do, what other services are available, or whether they should end services altogether.
More information is available on the FCC Affordable Connectivity Program website.
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