WASHINGTON, D.C. — Despite bipartisan support, a popular federal program that subsidizes internet access for tens of millions of low-income Americans is on track to expire at the end of the month.
The Affordable Connectivity Program shaves $30 off each monthly internet bill and $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer or tablet.
What You Need To Know
- The Affordable Connectivity Program, which subsidizes internet bills for 23 million American households, is set to expire at the end of April
- Despite bipartisan support, neither the House nor Senate has passed an extension of the program
- Some lawmakers are hoping to force a vote in the House
Twenty-three million American households are enrolled in the program, including 1.1 million households, or nearly one in four households, in Ohio, according to the White House.
The program was part of a bill passed in 2021 to bridge the digital divide between those who do and don’t have internet access. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal provided $14.2 billion to subsidize internet access for low-income Americans.
The subsidies are paid to internet providers including Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum News.
A federal survey found more than three quarters of recipients said losing the benefit would force them to switch internet plans or drop service altogether.
The program already has stopped accepting new enrollments and will be forced to end subsidies altogether at the end of the month unless new funding is provided.
A $7 billion extension measure has amassed 223 co-sponsors, including 202 Democrats and 21 Republicans. Yet it remains stalled in both the House and Senate without a vote, creating frustration among lawmakers.
“The excuses are what they always are. There’s too much going on. But this matters to people’s everyday lives,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. “This could be added to any bill that’s going through the Senate or the House.”
“I think it’s one of those things like food, like medicine, where we have to make sure that everybody has access to it. It’s just a necessary part of living in the 21st century,” Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, said in an interview in January.
Reps. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, and Emilia Sykes, D-Ohio, recently joined other House Democrats to call for renewing the program.
Some Republicans, including Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, have raised concerns about oversight of the program and how to fund it while reducing government spending. Latta said he supports renewing the program but wants to find a sustainable way to pay for it.
Latta’s office wrote in a statement:
“Congressman Latta is a strong advocate of ensuring Americans have access to reliable and affordable Internet. That’s why he joined the Universal Service Fund Working Group, which continues to work in a bicameral, bipartisan manner to find a long-term funding solution to the Affordable Connectivity Program.”
Rep. Yvette Clark, D-N.Y., is collecting signatures to force a vote on the measure in the House through a maneuver called a discharge petition. However discharge petitions are rarely successful, with just two resulting in new laws in the last 30 years.
Neither House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office nor Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office responded to a request for comment.
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
