If you currently receive a Lifeline benefit, you automatically qualify for the ACP.Īlthough the monthly discount under the ACP is less than what you might have received from the EBB, there are some advantages to the new program.
You’ll also need to apply if you were receiving an EBB discount because you qualified for an internet provider’s own COVID-19 program. If so, you should have already been contacted by your internet provider or the Universal Services Administrative Company, which administers the ACP. You will have to requalify if your EBB eligibility was due to a substantial loss of income as a result of a job loss or furlough.
Many households who were fully enrolled in the Emergency Broadband Benefit by the end of 2021 don’t have to do anything more to get benefits under the ACP.īut there are exceptions. Congress set aside $14.2 billion for the initiative, and the FCC says that almost $1.3 billion in remaining EBB funds is being rolled into the new program. The Affordable Connectivity Program will continue until its funding runs out. You can apply for both Lifeline and the ACP, and apply the benefits to the same or separate services. But the Federal Communications Commission has another program, called Lifeline, that provides low-income households with a discount of $9.25 per month for phone or internet service. The ACP doesn’t cover smartphone purchases or cellular service. “In the past, $30 a month meant you had to settle for a slow Internet service, unless you wanted to pay a heck of a lot more out of pocket,” Biden said at the press event. “But over the last few months, my administration has worked closely with internet providers-this is a case where big business stepped up-urging them to cut their prices and raise their speeds.” In most cases, recipients will receive internet service speeds of 100 megabits per second or faster, the president said. Unlike the EBB discounts, the ACP can be applied to bundled services-such as plans that combine internet and TV-but only toward the internet portion of the bill. Each household is limited to a discount for one device.Ĭonsumers can use the benefit with any tier of broadband service offered by their internet service provider. Subsidies are paid directly to the internet provider, then applied to consumers’ monthly bills. Families have to pitch in between $10 and $50 toward the purchase price. In addition, it offers a one-time discount of up to $100 toward the purchase of a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from a participating provider. The ACP helps eligible households by providing a discount of up to $30 per month on internet service, or $75 per month for those living on tribal lands.
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