What Is the Affordable Connectivity Program?

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to help low-income families stay connected to the internet. 

The ACP provides a $30 monthly subsidy to cover your internet costs (or a $75 monthly subsidy if you live on Tribal lands). The new program still includes a one-time discount of up to $100 on a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer as well.

Along with a change in subsidy amounts, the new Affordable Connectivity Program includes changes to eligibility requirements. We've sorted through all the details to help you figure out whether you qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program and answer any questions you may have.

At least one person in your household needs to meet certain requirements in order to qualify for an internet subsidy through the Affordable Connectivity Program.

You can qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program if at least one person in your household meets these requirements:

• Participates in the free and reduced-price school lunch or school breakfast program (including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision)

—OR—

• Received a Federal Pell Grant in the current award year

—OR—

• Is enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

And if you already qualify for the Lifeline federal assistance program, you should be eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program too. One thing to note: Lifeline requires an income of 135% or less than federal poverty guidelines, but the ACP requires the following:

• Your income is 200% or less than federal poverty guidelines 

—OR—

• You or someone in your household (including children and dependents) participate in one of the following federal programs: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly known as Food Stamps), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA), or Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit

—OR—

• You live on Tribal lands and at least one person in your household (including children and dependents) participates in Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Head Start (only if your household meets the income qualifying standard), Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF), or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

To apply for Lifeline, you can fill out an application online through the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) or mail one in. Once you qualify for Lifeline, your service provider should enroll you in the benefit program.

Additionally, if your internet service provider (ISP) participates in Lifeline, they may have ways for you to apply through them.

The Affordable Connectivity Program provides up to $30 toward an eligible household’s monthly internet bill—or up to $75 for those living on Tribal lands. You can apply your subsidy to any internet plan as long as your internet provider participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

Plus, eligible households can also receive up to $100 toward one laptop, desktop computer, or tablet that’s purchased through their internet provider. But, you must pay at least $10–$50 for the device to receive the discount.

It’s important to note that the $30, $75, or $100 subsidies aren’t paid directly to you. Instead, they go to your internet provider, which should then discount your service or the cost of the device you’re purchasing. That also means that if your internet plan costs less than $30 or $75 a month, you won't be able to pocket the extra money.

Also, each eligible household gets only one monthly discount on their internet service and only one device discount.

Currently, there's no end date listed for the Affordable Connectivity Program. We expect that as long as it continues to receive funding, the subsidy will still be available.

As for anyone enrolled in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, you’ll continue to receive your $50 monthly bill discount until March 2022. After that, you'll receive the $30 monthly ACP subsidy.

The FCC is still hashing out whether program participants will need to re-apply to continue to receive benefits. We expect most folks won't need to reverify eligibility after the EBB Program officially ends. But keep an eye out for messages from the USAC in case you do need to reapply.

Applications for the Affordable Connectivity Program are submitted the following ways

• USAC's Affordable Connectivity Program site
• By mail
• Through your internet provider

If you apply online, be prepared to provide the following information:

• Your name
• Your address
• Your date of birth
• A form of ID: Either your social security number, Tribal ID number, OR a form of government-issued ID, like a driver's license, passport, or taxpayer ID number
• A photo or scanned image of your ID (if you don't have a scanner, you can take a photo with your phone)

Mail applications to the Affordable Connectivity Program should be sent to the following address:

ACP Support Center
P.O. Box 7081
London, KY 40742

You can likely speed up the process by also mailing any required documents with your application. Just be sure to include a cover sheet (PDF) if you do so the processing team can match your documents to your application.

If your internet provider is participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program, they may have ways for you to apply through them.

The USAC has an easy search tool to find participating ISPs in your area, either by entering your zip code or city and state.

There are more than 300 different internet providers participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

The approved providers differ by state, and you can check out which providers are participating in your state on the FCC's site or with the USAC's Companies Near Me tool.

Here are some of the bigger service providers participating in the ACP:

And while it seems like the majority of providers aren't offering connected devices, non-profits human-I-T and PCs for People are offering to help get your hands on connected devices. Both were listed as Emergency Broadband Benefit Program participants, so we expect they'll continue to participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program too.

FAQ

Here's what other folks are asking about the Affordable Connectivity Program.