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About the Affordable Connectivity Program

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was established by Congress to help lower-income families afford reliable, high-speed internet. It’s part of the Federal Communications Commission’s mission to ensure that all people, regardless of their income, can access the internet services and computer technology that are essential to our modern world.

The ACP used to be a temporary program called the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB). In 2022, Congress made it permanent and renamed it the Affordable Connectivity Program. Congress also reduced the benefit amount from $50 per month to $30 per month, and changed eligibility requirements. If you used the EBB, make sure your internet provider is still giving you the ACP, and see if the changes affect your bill.

FAQ

The ACP benefit is paid directly to your internet provider. Similar to a coupon or discount, you will see the benefit as a reduction in the cost of internet service. For example, if you use the ACP to sign up for an internet plan that costs $50 per month, you would only pay $20 out of pocket (plus any additional fees). If the cost of internet service is less than $30, you will not get the difference.

That depends. If you purchase a plan that costs less than $30 (or $75 if you live on tribal lands), then the ACP will cover the full cost and you will not have to pay anything. However, if the plan costs more than $30 (or $75 if you live on tribal lands), then you will have to pay the difference. See the question above for an example of how this works.

Families will need a letter stating that their child participates in a free and reduced-priced lunch program by attending a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school. Letters issued by the school—or for some CEP schools, a student’s report card—may serve as proof of eligibility for ACP.

No. If a household is unable to provide an SSN or feels uncomfortable doing so, they can use a government-issued ID, passport, driver’s license, tribal identification number, or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) documentation.

Yes, eligible consumers with a past-due balance or a balance in collections are eligible for the benefit.

The ACP is a permanent program. This is a change from the EBB, which was a temporary program for the pandemic emergency. When Congress turned the EBB into the ACP, they also ended its emergency designation.

You can apply the discount to any internet service plan a participating provider offers. However, not all providers participate. Find a participating provider in your area.

This benefit cannot be used to pay for a cellphone, but it can be used to pay for the part of a monthly cellphone bill that covers mobile broadband service or a data plan. For assistance with cellphone service, visit the FCC’s Lifeline program.

The maximum monthly benefit changed from $50 per month to $30 per month for households not located on qualifying tribal lands. The monthly benefit remains at $75 per month for households on qualifying tribal lands.
● Households have additional ways to qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program, like receiving WIC benefits or having an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.
● Households that qualified for EBB because of job loss during the pandemic or through their internet provider’s COVID-19 program will need to reapply.

What if I have questions?

  • Get help from a real person in your area
  • Read our FAQs
  • Contact the ACP Support Center hotline at (877) 384-2575
  • Email [email protected]
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