Low-Income Internet Alternatives for All 50 States

The end of the Affordable Connectivity Program last year left 23 million households without a suitable alternative to low-income internet accessibility. A significant percentage of those households were located in rural areas with limited internet options, and nearly half were military families. Congress has failed to provide further funding for the continuation of the ACP, which shaved $30 (or $75 on tribal lands) off monthly broadband bills for participating low-income households. "High-speed internet isn't a luxury anymore -- it's an absolute necessity," President Joe Biden said last April in a speech calling for an extension of the program, citing the importance of broadband for schoolwork, telemedicine and small business. In the wake of the loss of the ACP, many internet service providers, including CenturyLink, Quantum Fiber and Google Fiber, returned ACP customers to standard rates. Locating local internet providers But some ISPs have opted to include low-cost plans with slo ... Read full article.