FCC To Wind Down ACP Unless Congress Provides Funding
From the FCC:
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would like to inform you that the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is expected to end this spring unless Congress appropriates additional funding. As a result, the FCC has begun taking steps to wind down the ACP. The FCC projects that households enrolled in the ACP will continue to receive the benefit on their internet service through April 2024. This date is an estimate and may change.
In 2021, Congress established the Affordable Connectivity Program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and appropriated $14.2 billion for the program. The FCC was tasked to develop and implement the ACP as well as ACP outreach and awareness activities. As of today, over 22 million households are enrolled and receiving the ACP monthly benefit.
What’s happening?
Without additional funding from Congress, the FCC anticipates that the current ACP funding is projected to run out in April 2024. This date is an estimate and may change. As a result, the FCC has begun taking steps to wind down the ACP, which means:
- No new ACP enrollments will be accepted after February 7, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET.
- Households that enrolled with an ACP internet company before February 7, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET will continue to receive their ACP benefit until ACP funds run out as long as the household remains enrolled and eligible for the benefit.
- When ACP funds run out, households participating in the ACP will no longer receive the ACP discounts.