Your internet bills could soon go up: Here’s why

(NEXSTAR) — For weeks, millions of American households have been warned that the discounted internet or phone service they’ve enjoyed since the COVID-19 pandemic began will soon end. That end date is approaching, which means these families will soon have to pay full price for service again.

The Biden administration launched the Affordable Connectivity Plan (ACP) after securing $14.2 billion in funding through the bipartisan Infrastructure Act in 2021. ACP is administered by the FCC and provides services to eligible households (households earning less than 200% of household income). The poverty line, or the line at which someone receives government benefits like SNAP, Medicaid, or WIC with cheaper internet service.

At launch, ACP partners with major carriers such as AT&T, Verizon, Spectrum, T-Mobile and more to provide eligible households with discounts of up to $30 per month on Internet service (up to $75 per month for households on eligible tribal lands). Dollar). Also get a one-time discount of up to $100 on a laptop, tablet or desktop computer.

Now, the more than 23 million eligible households enrolled in ACP may soon stop receiving that bill credit. Since at least January, these families have been warned that ACP would soon begin to end. The program stopped accepting new registrations in early February.

“The $14.2 billion originally provided by Congress for the ACP is about to be exhausted,” the FCC said in a fact sheet on the ACP’s termination. “Due to the lack of additional funding from the ACP, [FCC] It has been announced that April 2024 will be the last month in which ACP households will receive the full ACP discount as in previous months. “

Some households may receive partial ACP discounts through May. Verizon-owned prepaid wireless service Straight Talk has told its customers that it will “fund your benefits through May 31,” according to news shared with Nexstar.

So what happens when the program runs out of money?

Essentially, by May, registered households will no longer be eligible for discounts on internet or phone services (unless the provider has informed customers that the discount will continue).

Some providers, such as Spectrum, have informed some customers that they do not need to take any action and that their service will continue after the plan ends, albeit without bill credits.

Verizon notes that customers will “remain on your plan at the same price without the ACP subsidy,” but those who don’t choose to keep internet-related services may be disconnected under the FCC’s mandate. The company told Nexstar it’s “committed to connecting families to reliable home Internet” and will continue to offer qualifying families up to $20 per month in home Internet discounts through Verizon Forward.

In a statement to Nexstar, an AT&T spokesperson said that while the company is urging the federal government to find more durable solutions, AT&T is “committed to providing options to help our customers adjust and offering a variety of flexibilities when appropriate.” program. Very valuable” if the funds run out. The company already offers AT&T Access for $30 a month, as well as low-cost mobile broadband service plans from Cricket Wireless and AT&T Prepaid.

T-Mobile told Nexstar in a statement that it is reaching out to those who may be affected by the end of ACP and will continue to “provide critical internet access to millions of people who may otherwise be financially unable to access it.” Access”. T-Mobile’s Metro customers currently offering “many affordable options” on ACP will receive discounts through May and a $15 discount on September bills “to assist with the transition,” the company explained. T-Mobile also pointed to its other free and low-cost plans.

Nexstar also reached out to Spectrum for comment but had not received a response before publication.

Congress has been working to provide additional funding for ACP. In January, Vermont Democratic Senator Peter Welch introduced the Affordable Connectivity Program Expansion Act, which would provide $7 billion for ACP.

“We cannot allow millions of households across the country to be plunged into digital darkness. Congress needs to introduce the bipartisan Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act and save this important program. We don’t have time — we need to act now,” Welch said MP said in a statement earlier this month.

Reps. Yvette Clark (D-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) have introduced a companion bill in the House. Both versions were submitted to their respective appropriations committees in January.

However, in interviews with Nexstar in February, Reps. Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y., and Joe Courtney, D-Conn., said they believed Congress would not let ACP end .

“We know that if this happens, a lot of people won’t have access to the internet, and that’s not good,” Courtney said at the time.