
Fast, affordable Internet access for all.
*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.
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.