Supporting the Renewal and Extension of the Affordable Connectivity Program
Adopted at the 91st Annual Meeting in 2023
WHEREAS, the Affordable Connectivity Program is a national, U.S. government program giving low-income households a discount of up to $30 per month for internet service, up to a $75 per month discount for households on qualifying Tribal lands, and discounts on computer device costs; and
WHEREAS, eligibility includes households with income below 200% of the federal poverty level or who are receiving benefits such as SNAP, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Pell Grant, or Free and Reduced-Price Lunch; and
WHEREAS, the Affordable Connectivity Program, funded at $14.2 billion, has enrolled more than 16 million households, saving low-income households almost $500 million per month; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic amplified the reality of inequitable and detrimental gaps in internet access, adoption, and affordability for underserved groups and showed how our digital networks are woven into every aspect of our personal and professional lives and serve as the critical backbone for our economy; and
WHEREAS, the Affordable Connectivity Program has been one of the most effective broadband benefit programs to date with its direct-to-consumer model to enroll low-income households and help ensure they can afford the internet connections they need for work, school, healthcare, and more; and
WHEREAS, the Affordable Connectivity Program is likely to run out of funds by mid-2024 and extending the broadband benefit (not devices) for an additional five years could potentially cost $30-$35 billion; and
WHEREAS, households without high-speed internet are more likely to have incomes under $25,000 and include school aged kids, communities of color, rural communities, and older Americans; and
WHEREAS, approximately 1 in 5 Americans without home internet cite cost as the factor; and
WHEREAS, the lack of affordable, reliable high-speed internet is compounding economic, health, and other disparities; and
WHEREAS, the Biden-Harris administration furthered its digital equity commitment in 2022 and launched the $45 billion "Internet for All" initiative to bring affordable, reliable high-speed internet to everyone in America by the end of the decade; and
WHEREAS, cities have created Affordable Connectivity Program dashboards to transparently, responsibly, and equitably monitor ACP enrollment by zip codes to ensure areas with the lowest median incomes receive the most attention and outreach efforts to build awareness and enrollment; and
WHEREAS, the Affordable Connectivity Program has been the most important tool for cities in moving the needle to close the digital divide;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to renew and extend the Affordable Connectivity Program funding in 2024 to ensure currently enrolled ACP low-income households continue to have access to affordable high-speed internet, recognizing that closing the digital divide will allow Americans to access the resources they need and strengthen the U.S. economy to compete in the 21st Century.