LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The Affordable Connectivity Program connected more than 23 million low-income households to the Internet at the height of the pandemic, but now, the ACP is running out of cash and coming to an end.
So what happens to the quarter of a million families here in the Las Vegas Valley currently using that subsidy when the money’s gone? FOX5 is getting answers.
Our need for connectivity is undeniable, especially in homes with children. During the pandemic, hundreds of thousands of kids nationwide fell behind on their schoolwork simply because their homes had no internet connection. The White House responded by including more than $ 14 billion for internet subsidies in its Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“They wanted to make sure that everyone had access to the internet because the internet has become so essential, so they put together a program,” says Bradley Wimmer, an economics professor at UNLV.
ACP provided qualifying families with a 30-dollar subsidy per month, up to $75 on tribal lands, and it called on internet providers to provide programs at the same price point.
“And then they decreased the price to basically zero because with the 30-dollar low-income programs offered by the ISP, the internet service providers, plus the 30-dollar subsidy, it was free internet for people who qualify for the program.”
Wimmer says the program was deemed a success in terms of increased connectivity, but…
“We have a large budget deficit and Congress can’t necessarily seem to get deals done, so the program’s coming to an end.”
“But we don’t want customers to panic,” says Stephanie Stallworth, Public Affairs director for Cox Communications. She says disconnections won’t happen overnight.
“So the month of April with be the last month that ACP customers will see their full benefit, their full 30-dollar credit. After that, the federal government has told there’s enough money in the coffers to cover a smaller, reduced amount in May.”
After that, it may not be free, but staying connected will remain affordable for most families.
“For families, low-income families who have at least one child in K-12 in a program subsidized through the federal government, whether it be the free and reduced lunch program, or SNAP, or even a federal pension, they would qualify for our Connect to Compete program which is only $9.95 a month,” she says. “All they have to do is call the Cox offices, or go into a Cox retail store and we’ll explain it very easily how it’s going to impact them.”
Congresswoman Dina Titus tells FOX5 she’s co-sponsored a measure which would extend the ACP through the end of the year.
In a statement, she writes in part:
“Connectivity today is electricity of the past. We must keep this essential program alive to provide better opportunities and monthly savings for hard working Nevadans.”
For more information on what comes after the ACP, and for which programs you may qualify, you can visit Cox’s website.
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