Affordable Connectivity Program

Please note that the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) may end due to available funding running out.

If Congress does not appropriate additional funding to keep the program running beyond April 2024, the ACP will come to an end. As a result, the FCC has announced April 2024 will be the last fully funded month. 

When the ACP funding ends, previously enrolled household will no longer receive a monthly discount on broadband service, effective April 2024.

The Affordable Connectivity Program stopped accepting new applications and enrollments on February 7, 2024. The deadline to enroll for ACP at PTCI ended on February 7, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. CST.

  • All ACP households enrolled at the time of the enrollment freeze, February 7, 2024, will be able to remain enrolled through the final month of ACP service if they are not required to be de-enrolled under FCC rules.
  • Households that are de-enrolled from the program, such as for failure to use their ACP-supported service, will not be able to re-apply or re-enroll in the ACP during the enrollment freeze.

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About the Affordable Connectivity Program

The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more.

The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.

The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

ACP Qualifications

A household is eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program if the household income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if a member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:

  • Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
  • Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income internet program;
  • Participates in one of these assistance programs:
    • Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, including at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision schools.
    • SNAP
    • Medicaid
    • Federal Housing Assistance, including:
      • Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program (Section 8 Vouchers)
      • Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)/Section 202/ Section 811
      • Public Housing
      • Affordable Housing Programs for American Indians, Alaska Natives or Native Hawaiians
    • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
    • WIC
    • Veterans Pension or Survivor Benefits
    • or Lifeline;
  • Participates in one of these assistance programs and lives on Qualifying Tribal lands:
    • Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
    • Tribal TANF
    • Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
    • Tribal Head Start (income based)

How Does the ACP Protect Consumers?

FCC rules protect Affordable Connectivity Program recipients by:

  • Empowering consumers to choose the service plan that best meets their needs (including a plan they may already be on);
  • Ensuring consumers have access to supported broadband services regardless of their credit status;
  • Prohibiting providers from excluding consumers with past due balances or prior debt from enrolling in the program;
  • Preventing consumers from being forced into more expensive or lower quality plans in order to receive the ACP;
  • Ensuring that consumers are not liable for early termination fees;
  • Reducing the potential for bill shock or other financial harms;
  • Allowing ACP recipients to switch providers or broadband service offerings; and
  • Providing a dedicated FCC process for ACP complaints.

Get More Consumer Information

Check out the Affordable Connectivity Program Consumer FAQ for more information about the benefit.

To contact the FCC click here. 

To call the FCC: (877) 384-2575