Many, many readers have asked us about the future of the temporary Emergency Broadband Benefit enacted to help families and households struggling to pay for internet service during the coronavirus pandemic. It gave qualified households a discount of up to $50 per month on broadband services (and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands).
Officials said from day one that the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) would be a temporary program, but no one knew when it would end.
Now we know. It will end on March 1, 2022. But fear not because it will immediately be replaced by the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) on that date. And the news just keeps getting better because the ACP is a permanent program and it is much better funded than the EBB.
Here’s how the Federal Communications Commission explains it all:
On November 15, 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Infrastructure Act) became law. The Infrastructure Act provides $14.2 billion to modify and extend the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB Program) to a longer-term broadband affordability program called the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
In other words, they changed the name and bolstered the budget, but everything else pretty much remains the same.
The EBB program officially ends on December 31, 2021, but there will be a 60-day transition period from the EBB Program to the ACP for households fully enrolled in the EBB Program as of December 31, 2021. That 60-day period will begin on December 31, 2021 and end on March 1, 2022. The ACP will also begin to accept enrollments on December 31, 2021. IMPORTANT NOTE: You must enroll in the ACP program or your service will end at the end on March 31, 2022.
Let’s go back to the FCC for a few more details:
Households fully enrolled in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program as of December 31, 2021 will continue to receive their current monthly benefit until March 1, 2022. More information about steps current Emergency Broadband Benefit recipients must take to continue receiving the Affordable Connectivity Program benefit after March 1, 2022 will be available in the coming weeks.
This is great news for everyone. The $14 billion budget ensures that everyone who needs internet service can get it. And the long-term commitment assures that they’ll keep it as long as they need it.
Once again, let’s go back to the FCC for the specifics:
The benefit will provide a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.
The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household…
There are a lot of different ways to qualify. The FCC spells them out in great detail. Your family will qualify if it:
- Has an income that is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines;
- Participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC, or Lifeline;
- Participates in Tribal specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations;
- Is approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision in the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, or 2021-2022 school year;
- Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year; or
- Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income program.
Hundreds and hundreds of internet service providers in every state have already agreed to participate in this program. You can find a complete list of the service providers in your state on the FCC website: https://www.fcc.gov/emergency-broadband-benefit-providers
Edward says
The Federal Communications Commission is making some changes to the Affordable Connectivity Program to make it easier for those who qualify to sign up. Two new Notices of Funding Opportunities will ease the influx of registration requests by providing additional grants for the program.
Edward says
I hear there are changes coming to the ACP program.
CheapInternet.com Administrator says
This sounds so mysterious. What have you heard, Edward?
Edward S says
I sure hope ACP gets refunded in some form when it’s time.
CheapInternet.com Administrator says
Not sure what that means, Edward. Why would it get refunded?
Edward S says
When it runs out of funds
CheapInternet.com Administrator says
Aha! You meant “re-funded” instead of “refunded.”
Henry says
It all depends on whether Congress decides to continue or let the program end. Budget decisions supporting any given program are not a sure thing. The EBB/ACP program came out due to the pandemic. If the emergency health situation changes later, that may decide the fate of this program.
CheapInternet.com Administrator says
You are correct, of course, but it’s almost impossible to kill a government program once it takes its first breath.
Henry says
Ah.. you must be referring to Federal programs like Medicare and Social Security that originated during the 1930s and 1960s. Will they disappear? Who knows? A lot of Government programs depend on how many they affect and the leverage of anyone supporting the program.
CheapInternet.com Administrator says
We’re referring to any government program. There used to be a small tax (damned if we can remember what it was called) added to each phone bill each month. Its purpose was to help electrify rural areas of the country. It survived 75 years past the time that goal was accomplished and yet it was somehow controversial when that program was killed.
Thomas says
I have Spectrum Internet Assist. Is this the same as the ACP? I was told I can receive a free tablet if I sign up for the ACP. If I do that will I lose my Spectrum Internet Assist? Can I keep my SIA that I’m getting free and also apply for the ACP and have two separate internet accounts and a free tablet? I can’t seem to get a straight answer from anyone. I don’t want to apply for the ACP and lose what I already have (SIA). Thank you.
CheapInternet.com Administrator says
No, they are not the same. Internet Assist is a program that was started by Spectrum long before ACP was created and funded. However, that being said, you should be able to apply the ACP discount to Internet Assist and get it for free.
James Rodriguez says
Have not figured out the end date of the ACP???
When will my 30 dll subsidy end? Thank you
CheapInternet.com Administrator says
No one knows, James. They say the program will last as long as the money lasts, but there have been no estimates.
Edward S says
I have read that is expected funding to last mid 2024
Henry says
On the USAC.ORG site, they provided up to date spent totals for the EBB program before it expired. For the ACP program, there is no information provided other than enrollment numbers per state. Based on the spending pattern reported for the EBB program and the amount allocated versus the amount allocated for the ACP program, my guess is that the money should last for around 4 to 5 years from now. When the program exhausts all of its funding, you will get notified by your service provider that you “free lunch” subsidy of $30 per month is over.
Henry says
The White House has announced a partnership with broadband providers and the ACP program. Several major providers like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T are participators in the program. Go to getinternet.gov for more information.
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s part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, President Biden and Vice President Harris worked with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to create the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible households $30 per month off their internet bills. To deliver maximum cost savings to families, the Biden-Harris Administration has secured commitments from 20 leading internet providers to offer ACP-eligible households a high-speed internet plan for no more than $30 per month. Eligible families who pair their ACP benefit with one of these plans can receive high-speed internet at no cost.
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Note that are income requirements for eligibility. If you enrolled in the Lifeline program, you are already eligible.
Mitch Bettinger says
Please email me info on the ACP and sign me up if possible. Thanks
CheapInternet.com Administrator says
Sorry, Mitch, but this is an independent informational website so we cannot sign you up. You’ll need to contact a service provider directly.
Steve A Carle says
I’m receiving SNAP benefits and another household member is on SSI. What can I do to get ACP?
CheapInternet.com Administrator says
You can check with almost any service provider listed on our service provider page:
https://www.cheapinternet.com/low-income-internet
Jennifer Brooks says
I am on AT&T’s Access program. How is that going to change? How will my no cost cell phone change?
CheapInternet.com Administrator says
This will not impact the Lifeline free government cell phone program, which it sounds like you are saying you are enrolled in. Correct?
Jennifer Brooks says
Yes
CheapInternet.com Administrator says
In that case you have nothing to worry about.
Henry says
Lifeline program and EBB/ACP should not be lumped together. Lifeline provides cell phone service (voice, text, data) to economically disadvantaged individuals. EBB/ACP provides broadband service for computers and tablets (mostly data plans, although you could make voice calls by way of a microphone hookup) for disadvantaged individuals. EBB and ACP are temporary plans due to the pandemic. They will end sometime in the future. Lifeline program is indefinite as long as the FCC supports it.
CheapInternet.com Administrator says
Henry is absolutely correct. We just gave the same answer to a reader over at FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net, our sister website.
Thomas L. McKelvey says
What I want to know is, when will CheapInternet clients like myself be given credentials by their I.P. allowing us to login to live local broadcasts???
CheapInternet.com Administrator says
Good question, Thomas.
Ken H. says
What is the federal poverty level for a household of One (no children) established for 2022? Does each “participating provider” set its own low-income threshold? If low-income qualifications vary by provider, which designated providers have the highest acceptable household income IF NOT 200% of the federal poverty level? I refer to the participating provider low-income level because you note it as a qualification marker different from the federal guideline. (The federal guideline was the first qualification test in your article. The participating provider guideline was the last qualification test listed in your article.)
CheapInternet.com Administrator says
Here’s where you can find a Federal Poverty Guideline calculator:
https://www.healthinsurance.org/glossary/federal-poverty-level/