With the Affordable Connectivity Program set to expire, more households will be forced to give up internet service due to a significant increase in monthly household costs.
Last month, 23 million American households were faced with a difficult choice: Stay connected to the internet or give up this public service because of rising costs?
This comes as funding has dried up for the Biden administration’s signature broadband access initiative, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Passed under the bipartisan infrastructure law in 2021, eligible low-income households received monthly subsidies of between $30 and $75 to cover their internet service.
Unless Congress acts and appropriates additional funding, millions of people will lose connection to work, education, and other essential daily functions, including more than 2.9 million California households that receive ACP benefits.
Closing the digital divide has long been a thorn in policymakers’ minds as they strive to connect more Americans to this vital service. For example, in California, even as a record number of people gain access to the internet, about 6 percent of Black, Latino and low-income households still lack it.
Now that the ACP has expired, families across the country will undoubtedly sacrifice internet service due to a significant increase in their monthly household bills, with over 75% of ACP users saying the loss of this benefit would prompt them to change their internet plan or drop their service altogether.
A study by the Benson Strategy Group found that military families, seniors and rural residents would lose the most from the elimination of the benefits.
This should concern all of us, because losing access to the internet is not just an issue for any one individual, household, or demographic group — it has a ripple effect across the country, and we all need to be aware of that.
According to an analysis by the Chamber of Progress, the loss of the ACP would have a significant economic impact. With so much employment opportunity now dependent on access to the internet, the loss of this benefit would mean job opportunities would disappear or be lost altogether, potentially resulting in $10 billion a year in lost wages.
In our health care system, internet service is key to scheduling appointments, refilling prescriptions, and visiting preventive care clinics. Programs like ACP have increased access to care and saved individuals who use telehealth services $300 a year. Without continued internet access, the health of our entire nation is at risk.
Fortunately, concrete solutions exist to address this issue: U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and LaFonza Butler recently co-sponsored the Affordable Connection Program Extension Act, which would provide an additional $7 billion to continue the program.
They join a long list of California legislative leaders, both Republican and Democrat, who understand that internet service is not a luxury but a basic right that government must protect.
President Biden has repeatedly called on Congress to act and there should be no delay in responding.
Recently, the Latino Community Foundation released a multi-state poll of Latino voters in Arizona, California and Nevada – three states that are critical to determining the next president and the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives – when asked about the top issues facing their communities, cost of living was cited as the highest issue.
At a time when rising commodity prices are still straining family budgets, a small internet subsidy may seem insignificant, but it could make a big difference for millions of people who face difficult choices every day between food, child care, housing and health care.
For Congress, the choice should be easier: Expand the Affordable Connectivity Program and keep America connected.
Christian Arana is vice president of civic empowerment and policy at the Latino Community Foundation of San Francisco.
