NaLA Survey Reveals Post-ACP Hardship for Economically Vulnerable

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*In partnership with Broadband Breakfast, we occasionally republish each other's content. The following story by Broadband Breakfast Reporter Gabriel Dorner was originally published here.

The Affordable Connectivity Program ran out of money last May, creating an enduring hardship for economically challenged Americans who need the program to get or stay online, the National Lifeline Association’s Annual Consumer Survey found.

Americans who relied on the ACP have struggled to find work, balance their budgets, and access healthcare, according to the NaLA survey.

“Lifeline and the ACP bring affordable internet and phone service to the communities who need it most… Lawmakers must refund the ACP and fix the Universal Service Fund’s Lifeline program to ensure all American households have affordable access to essential communications,” NaLA said in a statement.

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National Lifeline Assoc NaLA logo

The ACP provided benefits to 23 million low-income households at the time the program closed.

“I have read thousands of heartbreaking testimonies from consumers since ACP funding ran out,” NaLA Board Chairman David B. Dorwart said.

According to the report, 80 percent of survey respondents reported having an annual income below $20,000, 73 percent identified as unemployed, and only half reported having a checking or savings account.

NaLA said that since ACP’s expiration seven months ago, survey respondents “had to make tough budget decisions to stay connected to the internet.”

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Confused and frustrated woman on computer

“I’m struggling to pay for internet every month. I have to choose between my internet and my medicine and I have an 11-year-old who needs the internet to complete homework. I desperately need the ACP program,” one respondent said.

Despite bipartisan support for affordable connectivity, Capitol Hill lawmakers have not passed a bill to reinstate the program.

Vice President JD Vance as a Senator from Ohio supported ACP. He was an original cosponsor of a bipartisan bill to renew funding for the program in January 2024. However, like other ACP funding attempts, the bill never reached the Senate floor.

Whether the program will be revived under the Trump Administration is unclear.

Inline image of young woman frustrated in front of laptop courtesy of College Degrees 360 on Flickr, Creative Commonsn Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic