The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has served as a lifeline for communities across the United States. To date, it has enabled more than 19 million households to enroll, spanning rural, suburban, and urban communities.
Online For All is a national campaign, launched through a partnership between Civic Nation and U.S. Department of Education, to close the digital divide by focusing on internet access, affordability, and equity for students, families, and all Americans.
Verizon and Northside Community Housing are committed to tackling the digital divide in St. Louis, MO. Watch this video to learn about the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and how it’s helping eligible families get connected!
By Kathy Grillo, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs, Verizon
Congress has an opportunity to extend funding for this successful program and reform existing broadband subsidies.
Recently, Congress has taken meaningful steps to tackle broadband affordability and accessibility in rural and urban areas. The pandemic brought home to all of us how critical it is for all citizens to have robust broadband connectivity for work, school, healthcare, civic engagement, and more. This is why Congress passed and Verizon participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides subsidized internet services for eligible low-income households.
The ACP is a bipartisan, historic achievement in addressing affordability challenges. It allows tens of millions of eligible American households to receive a subsidy up to $30/month or $75/month on Tribal lands for high-speed internet service, which means they can access many of our home and mobile plans for free.
To date, almost 18 million American households have signed up for the program. However, current projections show that ACP funding could run out as soon as the first quarter of 2024. We believe Congress needs to develop a plan to keep the ACP program funded while also developing long-term reforms to current broadband subsidy programs to ensure they operate efficiently, avoid duplication, and target funding to those who need it most.
US Tech Future is a Verizon-led community-focused initiative working to engage the local community in a discussion about technology and how it can improve the lives of local residents for their benefit and the benefit of the community as a whole.
Our mission is to engage with citizens and community stakeholders in USA to provide information on how technology can work to have a dramatic impact on the way we work and live in our communities.
