The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) warned that affordable internet is at risk, noting that it could be forced to abandon its internet subsidy for low-income families.
This could happen if it does not receive additional funding and the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is currently only funded through April this year. This is despite an effort by White House officials to push for a $6 billion extension.
Affordable Internet at Risk Due to Low Funding
A bipartisan group of lawmakers from both the House and Senate are reportedly planning to submit a bill that would request the extension of the program. The extension bill, which is known as the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, will be introduced in Congress tomorrow. It seeks to provide a $7 billion extension for the program.
However, the proposal will have to get through objections from Republicans in the House and Senate with oversight of the ACP. They argue that the agency has not fulfilled its obligation to report statistics about who has signed up for the program, including those who had no internet access prior to signing up, as per The Verge.
The FCC previously noted that nearly 23 million households have enrolled in the program, which includes 1,700 internet providers. Furthermore, the agency pointed out that "rural households have enrolled at a higher rate" compared to households located in urban areas.
The ACP was first launched in 2021 as part of United States President Joe Biden's administration's infrastructure bill. Households that qualify for the program can get a $30 monthly subsidy toward internet service that can go up to $75 for certain households on tribal lands.
The amount can also go up to as high as $100 in discounts on computer hardware. Programs that are aimed at expanding broadband internet access have been part of the Biden administration's agenda since taking office.
GOP opposition to the program also prompted some lawmakers to claim that some of the households who were receiving the subsidy already had broadband service before the ACP even existed, according to ArsTechnica.
Facing GOP Opposition
They also threatened to withhold funding and criticized what they described as the "Biden administration's reckless spending spree." These complaints were contained in a letter sent by the highest-ranking Republicans on committees with oversight responsibility over the ACP.
While there is no solution in sight, the FCC announced that it would be forced to start handing out notices about the expected end of the program. The agency said that there are less than four months before the ACP loses funding, noting that it expects to start taking steps to wind down the program in the near future.
The development could be significantly detrimental to many people who rely on affordable internet for their daily needs. A father with 10 children living at home, Walter Prescher said that such access is needed to keep their household running smoothly.
During an interview, he noted that the money they save with the subsidy can go towards doing other activities for their kids. Preacher and his family live in College Station, Texas and he qualified for the ACP under his status as a disabled veteran, said CBS News.
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