CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) – Internet bills for 23 million Americans could go up by the end of the month as funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is about to run out.
The plan, part of a bipartisan infrastructure deal, provides low-income families with a $30 monthly discount on their internet bills. No funds were allocated for the program in the latest federal appropriations bill. According to the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, more than 103,000 West Virginia households were enrolled in ACP in May 2023, accounting for 39% of households eligible.
Dr. Christopher Ali, professor of telecommunications at Pennsylvania State University, testified before Congress on the topic of broadband expansion. He said that because broadband is more expensive in rural areas due to low household density, the program “helps low-income families in two ways: one is to hopefully help them not have to sacrifice between broadband and other utilities or other needs,” he said. This also enables them to participate in the digital ecosystem. “
12 News also spoke with Heather Gate, executive vice president of digital inclusion at nonprofit Connected Nation and chair of the FCC Advisory Council’s Communications Equity and Diversity Committee.
Gate called the end of ACP “very disappointing” and said she sees the pandemic as a turning point, given that so many parts of daily life have moved online, leading many people to upgrade their internet to adapt.
Dr Ali said the need for internet connectivity has not gone away, though. Internet connectivity allows people to use telemedicine, do homework and work remotely, he said. On top of that, various studies show that access to the internet leads to better GDP, health and education outcomes.
Gates said the benefits of ACP are twofold, as it makes internet more affordable for low-income households while also providing internet service providers with a customer base that gives them money to build better access in more rural areas. Enter service.