Great news for families in our district! The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is offering eligible households high speed internet (100Mbps download) for $30 a month with no additional out of pocket costs.
There are 3 ways families can qualify:
- • Income of 200% or less than the Federal poverty guidelines
- • Program participation (such as Free Reduced Lunch Program eligible, or SNAP, etc.), or
- • Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating broadband provider’s existing low-income internet program
For those that meet the eligibility requirements:
- • $30 guaranteed plan download speed of 100 Mbps
- • 20 providers to choose from
- • New or existing internet plans
- • 3 ways to qualify (see above)
Learn more and apply for the Affordable Connectivity Program here.
A fact sheet for the Affordable Connectivity Program can be found here.
ACP Frequently Asked Questions
If I am approved for ACP and currently on an internet service plan with a provider, can I switch to a different internet service plan of that provider, including to that provider’s low-cost plan, and receive the ACP benefit?
Yes. The ACP benefit can be applied to any internet service offering, and providers cannot restrict you from switching service offerings or subject you to mandatory waiting periods. Sometimes providers prohibit existing customers from switching to low-cost internet service plans; however, consumers receiving the ACP benefit are not subject to these “existing customer” restrictions.
What happens if my provider has eligibility requirements for an internet service plan that conflict with ACP rules? (e.g. My provider requires that I pay off my past debts before signing up for XYZ internet service plan)
ACP rules override the rules of participating providers in the context of an ACP consumer. For instance, a provider may generally require that consumers pay off past or present debts before signing up for XYZ internet service plan. However, consumers who are approved to receive ACP benefits are not subject to that requirement (since the ACP rules prohibit providers from declining to enroll ACP consumers based on past or present debts).
Note: The ACP rules clearly allow ACP consumers to apply their benefit to any internet service offering that is generally available (i.e. not a grandfathered/legacy plan) and prohibit mandatory waiting periods (47 CFR 54.1808(e)(6)(iii)) and restrictions on switching plans (Para. 166 of the Report and Order).