The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has recently introduced the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) which is expected to be a long-term replacement to the Emergent Broadband Benefit (EBB) that came into being during the pandemic.

The purpose of the ACP is to help qualifying households pay for the broadband services we are increasingly required to have, be it for work, school, or just for healthcare needs. There has been a reduction in the financial assistance coverage under this new guise, but a household can expect to receive a $30 discount on the monthly charges. They can also get a $100 discount when buying a computer or tablet, as long as they pay at least $10 towards the cost and don’t pay more than $50. That discount only applies once per household.

To qualify for the program you have to have household income below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (a household of one’s annual income would need to be below $27,180; a household of four would need to be below $55,500). You can also qualify if someone in the household has even one of SSI, food stamps, Medicaid, or federal housing assistance. If you don’t have one of those you can still qualify if someone’s participating in the National School Lunch or Breakfast Programs. There are also provisions for those who participate in Tribal specific programs and for those who are receiving a Federal Pell Grant.

As can be seen, the ACP is hoping to reach out to a wide spectrum of the community who might otherwise miss out on what has become such a ubiquitous part of our modern lifestyle. If you feel you qualify and if you have the need, you can apply here Home – ACP – Universal Service Administrative Company (acpbenefit.org)