SAN FRANCISCO, CA – July 25, 2023 – The No Home Left Offline Coalition has written to all 50 state governors, urging them to contact their congressional delegation to take action on renewing the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
The ACP is a $14.2 billion federal broadband benefit funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that provides eligible households with a monthly discount of up to $30 per month (up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands) and a one-time $100 discount toward a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet. 51.6 million households, including 17.7 million unconnected households are eligible for the ACP, making it a critical tool for closing America’s stubborn digital divide, of which two-thirds is due to affordability.
In their letters, the Coalition, led by the national non-profit, EducationSuperHighway, raises serious concerns that millions of under-resourced households in every state would be impacted when funding for the ACP is projected to run out mid-2024. They point to an imminent digital cliff for 19.5 million households who currently rely on the ACP to cover the cost of their monthly internet service, arguing that if Congress does not refund the ACP this year, those families will soon see a big spike in their internet bill and potentially lose service entirely. This would occur just as states prepare to make the biggest broadband investments in history using their Broadband Access, Equity, and Deployment (BEAD) allocation.
The Coalition highlights that alongside inflation and economic uncertainty, a monthly increase of $30 per month, or up to $75 per month in tribal areas, is simply not what families need. With no clear path emerging to renew the funds, the Coalition is urging Governors and their congressional delegations to take urgent action on renewing the ACP to keep millions of Americans connected to the digital economy, education, healthcare, the social safety net, and critical government services.
The No Home Left Offline Coalition is a group of national nonprofit organizations representing broadband, housing, healthcare, civil rights, municipalities, and education committed to advocating for the development, inclusion, and implementation of equitable policies that ensure that No Home is Left Offline.
SIGNATORIES
Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
Columbus Metropolitan Library
Common Sense Media
Community Tech NY (CTNY)
Connect2Educate, A Rural Broadband Advocacy
Council for Affordable and Rural Housing
County of Los Angeles Internal Services Department
EducationSuperHighway
IBSA, Inc.
INCOMPAS
Institute of Real Estate Management
Kansas Office of Broadband Development
Link Oregon (Oregon Fiber Partnership)
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Maine Connectivity Authority
Multicultural Media, Telecom, and Internet Council (MMTC)
National Affordable Housing Management Association
National Apartment Association
National Association of Elementary School Principals
National Association of Housing Cooperatives
National Multifamily Housing Council
Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition
SmartWAVE Technologies
Sonic
Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF)
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
US Ignite
Volunteers of America National Services
Westchester Library System
Zayo Group, LLC
ENDS
ABOUT EDUCATIONSUPERHIGHWAY
EducationSuperHighway is a national non-profit with the mission to close the digital divide for the 17 million households that have access to the internet but can’t afford to connect. We focus on America’s most unconnected communities, where more than 25% of people don’t have internet.
From 2012-2020 we led the effort that closed the classroom connectivity gap. In 2013, only 10% of students had access to digital learning in their classrooms. Today, thanks to an unprecedented bi-partisan effort by federal, state, and school district leaders, supported by K-12 advocacy organizations, the classroom connectivity gap is closed – 47 million students are connected, and 99.3% of America’s schools have a high-speed broadband connection.
