The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) officially ended on June 1, 2024, with funding exhausted. Starting this month, more than 23 million enrollees will no longer have access to a reliably consistent monthly federal subsidy.

The following can be attributed to David B. Dorwart, Chair, National Lifeline Association (NaLA):

“June 1 represents another unfortunate milestone for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). For months, the National Lifeline Association (NaLA) has worked in lockstep with dozens of coalitions, civil society groups, local and state leaders and industry stakeholders calling for Congress to fund the program.

One in six households rely on the ACP to afford their broadband plans consistently. Tragically, without the support of the ACP, more than three-quarters of those households now expect to change or discontinue their plans altogether. While NaLA applauds the current work by bipartisan members of Congress to keep vulnerable and marginalized households connected, empty promises of action mean nothing to the families and individuals who will lose their internet access.

But we want to be clear: a lapse in the ACP’s funding does not mean it is dead. We strongly urge Congress to move forward and fund this essential program in June.”