Phoenix(AZFamily) — 23 million households in the United States could lose Internet access or be forced to start paying more.
Federal subsidies have helped thousands of Arizona families save up to $75 a month, but funding for the government’s Affordable Connectivity Program is set to run out this spring.
More than 500,000 people in Arizona participate in the program. It provides internet for up to $30 per month for low-income households, or $75 for tribal lands where high-speed internet is typically more expensive.
But unless Congress provides additional funding for the program, people will no longer receive that help.
Millions of people have received emails from service providers informing them that affordable connectivity plans are ending and April will be the last month for them to receive full ACP discounts.
With funding running out, President Joe Biden is asking Congress to take immediate action to allocate more funds to continue to help offset the cost of broadband internet for low-income households.
He believed it was necessary for people to have jobs, go to school and have access to health care, and he allowed families to use that money in other areas.
More than 23 million households have signed up and receive monthly discounts, including more than 500,000 Arizonans.
The largest population in our state is Congressional District 7, a rural area south of the valley all the way to the border. More than 100,000 households, or one in three households, participate in the program.
Jack Orleans, a senior at Arizona State University, joins the program. He worked several jobs during college to make ends meet and said it helped him finish school.
“I had to count every extra penny because I needed to make every penny count, and it didn’t do any good,” he said. “Internet is a necessity and I don’t think people should be deprived of that.”
According to the White House, nearly half of the families benefiting from the program are military families, and 10 million Americans are at least 50 years old or older.
Companies such as Verizon say ACP members will continue to receive the $20 monthly discount even if ACP is terminated.
Others, like Cox, encourage families to call them to work out the most cost-effective plan.
“I only use the internet for necessities, and when the internet goes away, I can only imagine how many people will continue to face this additional barrier,” Orleans said.
Phoenix said their library offers free Internet access with library cards. There is also a list of public wireless internet hotspots in Arizona.
The Education Department said the program was created while all schools were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide federal subsidies for pandemic internet bills and was never intended to be a permanent program.
“Nonetheless, internet access is important and ADE funds the Last Mile Project. The department brings sustainable educational internet to households in rural areas for $10 per month with 100/20 bandwidth.”
You can learn more about the program here.
ACP has stopped accepting new applications.
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