Benton Institute for Broadband & Society - Affordable Connectivity Program (was Emergency Broadband Benefit Program)

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Kevin Taglang

Grace Tepper

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Tue, 09/12/2023

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Daily Digest 9/11/2023

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https://www.benton.org/blog/affordable-connectivity-program-and-rural-america

The Affordable Connectivity Program and Rural America

benton — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 17:38:37 +0000

Households in rural America are overcoming significant headwinds as they sign up for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) benefit at a higher rate than urban counterparts. Through April 2023, ACP enrollment data shows that: 15% of all rural households have enrolled in ACP and 14% of households in metro or urban areas have enrolled in the benefit. Even this modest difference is striking given the tensions that buffet rural residents as they consider enrolling in ACP. On the one hand, rural areas have characteristics that improve ACP enrollment according to the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s Affordable Connectivity Program Enrollment Performance Tool . Nearly half (49%) of rural households qualify for ACP compared with 40% of non-rural ones. This gap is largely because there are more lower income households in rural parts of the country. Some 36% of rural households have annual incomes at or below 200% of the Federal poverty level (FPL) in contrast to the 28% figure for households in non-rural areas. There is a positive correlation between areas with a large share of eligible households and ACP enrollment.

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Benton Original Content

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Some 230,000 more rural households have signed up for ACP than predicted

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Wed, 06/28/2023

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Daily Digest 6/27/2023

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https://www.benton.org/blog/benton-institute-acp-performance-tool

The Benton Institute ACP Performance Tool

benton — Tue, 02 May 2023 11:40:28 +0000

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is at an inflection point. Launched in early 2022, ACP provides 17 million households up to $30/month in subsidies to offset the cost of broadband. But the program faces two critical challenges. First, less than a third of eligible households currently participate in the program—mainly because the people who could benefit most from the subsidy are unaware that it exists. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), local governments, and digital equity groups are stepping up efforts to improve ACP awareness and participation. Targeted outreach is needed to inform these households about the ACP and could benefit from analysis of the patterns of ACP enrollment. Second, as successful as the program has been, ACP subsidies are at risk without Congressional action in the coming months. The initial ACP investment is dwindling which could mean the program will have to sunset in the next year. Analysis of enrollment patterns will show policymakers and advocates which places may suffer most from the program’s termination. The Benton Institute’s ACP Performance Tool is a resource for any community that wants to answer the question: “How are ACP sign-ups going?” To answer, search a 5-digit zip code on the tool’s website. The ACP Performance Tool returns results that show two important numbers for the zip code area: 1) how many households have signed up for ACP (from government data) and 2) the expected number of households enrolled.

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Benton Original Content

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The Benton Institute’s ACP Performance Tool is a resource for any community that wants to answer the question: “How are ACP sign-ups going?”

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Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

Brian Whitacre

Hernan Galperin

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Tue, 05/02/2023

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Daily Digest 5/1/2023

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Research

Digital Divide

Affordable Connectivity Program (was Emergency Broadband Benefit Program)

Gov performance

Data & Mapping

Adoption

Universal Broadband

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

https://www.benton.org/blog/half-acp-eligible-households-still-unaware-program

Research

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Benton Foundation

Half of ACP-Eligible Households Still Unaware of the Program

benton — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 11:27:12 +0000

After a year of operation, half of all households eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) internet subsidy are unaware of the benefit. A January 2023 survey of low-income households finds that over 50% say they have never heard of the program or do not know anything about it. Although many eligible households are unaware of ACP, the survey points to ways in which policymakers and community leaders can encourage enrollment. First, outreach can make a difference. Some 37% of eligible households that knew little about the program say they would be likely to apply with more information and 31% said they would be likely to apply if they knew whether they qualified. The other part of the picture is digital skills. The survey finds that respondents with high levels of confidence in their digital skills are nearly twice as likely to have successfully signed up for ACP than those with less confidence in their digital skills. Some 26% of those with high levels of digital skills reported that they had successfully enrolled in ACP compared with only 14% of those with low levels of digital skills. The survey also found that, among households that have enrolled in ACP for a fixed home service, most still pay something for internet service. When asked what they pay for internet service after the ACP subsidy, the median figure cited households that had signed up for fixed service was $40 per month. The sum of the ACP subsidy ($30) and the median remaining fee ($40) is in line with the average monthly bill ($75) U.S. households pay for service.

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Benton Original Content

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New Survey Shows that Outreach to Trusted Anchor Institutions and Digital Skills Training can Help

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Author:

Brian Whitacre

https://www.benton.org/blog/understanding-and-driving-enrollment-affordable-conn…

Alejandro Alvarado Rojas

Hernan Galperin

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Fri, 03/17/2023

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Daily Digest 3/16/2023

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Fri, 03/17/2023

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Op-Ed

Understanding and Driving Enrollment in the Affordable Connectivity Program

dclay@benton.org — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 16:59:03 +0000

Fitting the monthly cost of a broadband subscription into a low-income household budget is difficult, to say the least, because of the costs of competing necessities like lodging, food, and healthcare. These financial pressures—and unexpected expenses—keep too many people in the U.S. from subscribing to home broadband service—or cause them to drop service at times to make ends meet. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress recognized these obstacles for low-income people and created a program—first called the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program—to reduce the monthly costs of connectivity. With passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November 2021, Congress turned the temporary Emergency Broadband Benefit Program into a longer-term subsidy. Launched in January 2022 with $14.2 billion in funding, the Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a critical component of the ongoing federal investment in broadband adoption. Eligible households receive $30/month (and up to $75/month on Tribal lands) to defray the cost of internet service, as well as up to $100 towards the purchase of a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers. On January 18, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society hosted a panel discussion on ACP enrollment. Drew Garner, the State Broadband Policy Advisor at Common Sense Media, moderated the panel. He began the discussion by noting the three steps low-income households must complete before they begin enjoying ACP benefits: first, they must confirm that their household is eligible to participate in the program; then they must complete an application to be enrolled in ACP; and, finally, they must choose an internet service provider and pick a plan to subscribe to.

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Despite its success, ACP observers estimate that the program will run out of current funding by mid-2024, thus digital equity advocates must convince Congress to fund the program for low-income households.

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Author:

Kevin Taglang

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Fri, 01/20/2023

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https://www.benton.org/blog/its-no-time-disarm-war-against-digital-divide

It’s No Time to Disarm in the War Against the Digital Divide

benton — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 12:43:15 +0000

The pandemic spurred policymakers and community leaders around the country to create programs to connect those without home broadband service or computers. These programs have had an impact. New government data show sharp increases in broadband and computer adoption in the 2019-to-2021 time frame. Initiatives such as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) have helped address “subscription vulnerability” for low-income households. With progress evident, it is time to extend and build on the ACP and local affordability programs. Recently released data from the American Community Survey shows wireline broadband adoption grew by 4.7 points between 2019 and 2021, more than twice the 2.0 points of growth between 2017 and 2019. This suggests that pandemic-driven initiatives to address home adoption gaps have had an impact. (Read more in Broadband Benefit Programs are Helping to Close the Digital Divide.)

[John B. Horrigan is a Benton Senior Fellow. He is a national expert on technology adoption, digital inclusion, and evaluating the outcomes and impacts of programs designed to promote communications technology adoption and use.]

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Broadband Benefit Programs are Helping to Close the Digital Divide.

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https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/can-smartphones-bridge-the-digital-divide-the-a…

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Research

Can Smartphones Bridge the Digital Divide? The Answer Is Complicated

zwalker@benton.org — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:24:29 +0000

Aldo Soledad relies on his phone's data plan to take care of his internet needs. When it comes to living without home internet, he isn't alone. Millions of Americans are without broadband, either because of a lack of access or because they can't afford it. That number will likely go up after April, which is the last fully funded month of the Federal Communication Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program. Those impacted might find themselves asking the same question as Soledad: Can I rely on my smartphone and data plan for all of my home internet necessities? The Pew Research Center reports that 15 percent of US adults are doing just that. Although smartphones have become digital Swiss Army knives, functioning as everything from a calculator to a portable internet browser and a pocket-size TV, there are still notable drawbacks to relying on phones and their accompanying data plans as a primary home internet source. But developments in wireless networks like the ones that connect to our mobile devices could pave the way for making high-speed home internet more accessible.

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Teaser:

For some Americans, smartphones are the only source of internet they can afford, but advancements in wireless networks could change that

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C|Net

Author:

Lisa Eadicicco

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Fri, 04/26/2024

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Thu, 04/25/2024

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Reporting

Agenda

Upcoming policy issue

Digital Divide

Affordable Connectivity Program (was Emergency Broadband Benefit Program)

Universal Broadband

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Wireless Telecommunications

Wireless Internet

National Lifeline Association Seeks $30/Month Lifeline Benefit

benton — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:11:24 +0000

The National Lifeline Association (NaLA) submitted a petition to the Federal Communications Commission requesting that the FCC temporarily waive the Lifeline reimbursement amounts in the Commission’s rules until Congress allocates additional funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) or passes broader legislation to reform the Universal Service Fund (USF) and pay for the ACP in an alternative manner. Specifically, NaLA requests that the FCC (1) increase the basic support amount from $9.25 per month to $30 per month; and (2) increase the Tribal lands support amount from $25 to $45 for a total reimbursement of $75 per month until Congress allocates additional funding for the ACP. Granting this petition would temporarily raise the Lifeline reimbursement amounts to match the current maximum reimbursement amounts available for subscribers eligible for ACP.

Benton Content:

https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/104230568622356/1

Teaser:

Using the Lifeline program to fill in for the depleted Affordable Connectivity Program

Source:

National Lifeline Association

Author:

John Heitmann

Joshua Guyan

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Fri, 04/26/2024

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Thu, 04/25/2024

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Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

Digital Divide

Affordable Connectivity Program (was Emergency Broadband Benefit Program)

Adoption

Universal Broadband

Telecommunications Act of 1996

Lifeline/Low-Income Consumers

Universal Service Fund

Federal internet benefits at risk in Connecticut. Could a state bill fill in gaps?

zwalker@benton.org — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:06:43 +0000

Connecticut has been building its digital infrastructure to get more households online. Those efforts rely on federal funding to help the state address these gaps, particularly in places with limited access to affordable high-speed internet. But a federal program reducing monthly internet bills and providing device subsidies for lower-income households will sunset at the end of April if Congress does not renew funding. The Affordable Connectivity Program was implemented under the bipartisan infrastructure law, which was enacted in 2021. Advocates are looking at a bill before the Connecticut General Assembly on broadband internet service that they argue could serve as a “backstop” if the ACP goes away. Senate Bill 3 would, among other things, require certain companies to provide internet service that is affordable.

Benton Content:

https://ctmirror.org/2024/04/22/ct-acp-program-affordable-connectivity/

Teaser:

Advocates are looking towards Connecticut's Senate Bill 3 to serve as a backstop if the ACP goes away

Source:

Connecticut Mirror

Author:

Lisa Hagen

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Fri, 04/26/2024

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Affordable Connectivity Program (was Emergency Broadband Benefit Program)

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

State

https://newsroom.cox.com/2024-04-24-COX-CONTINUES-COMMITMENT-TO-DIGITAL-EQUITY-W…

Cox Continues Commitment to Digital Equity with Low-Cost Internet as Federal Government ACP Closes

zwalker@benton.org — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 19:55:32 +0000

The projected end of the federal government's ACP (Affordable Connectivity Program) will leave many low–income households looking for affordable internet options. Nearly 23 million people nationwide rely on the $30 subsidy ($75 for tribal land) to defray the cost of internet service or secure internet service for free. Unfortunately, the federal government has only funded ACP through April and is expected to lapse in May. Since the beginning of 2024, Cox has been reaching out to customers impacted by the loss of ACP to ensure they are aware of available affordable internet plans and customizable offers. For more than a decade, Cox has championed digital equity for qualifying low-income households through the following programs and initiatives:

Connect2Compete Internet Plan - a $9.95 per month service for families with a child in grades K-12 in the home, who participate in the National School Lunch Program or other select federal programs such as SNAP.
ConnectAssist Internet Plan – a $30 per month service for low-income households that participate in select government programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, Public Housing, Pell Grant and others. This program is available to all Cox customers currently receiving the ACP benefit as well as those who meet the eligibility criteria for ACP.
All Cox-sponsored internet programs feature no credit checks, no deposit and no Wi-Fi modem rental fees. Further, customers will enjoy unlimited data and access to 4 million Wi-Fi hotspots.
Customers can choose to enhance their digital proficiency through the Cox Digital Academy, as well as access discounted personal computers.

Benton Content:

Teaser:

Cox has multiple low-cost offers to ensure people stay connected to high-speed internet, including $9.95/month for qualifying households

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Cox

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Fri, 04/26/2024

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