PROGRAM DETAILS
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is ending...
Unless Congress takes action, the ACP will run out of money in April of this year.
Here is what you need to know:
- Starting in late January 2024, consumers should receive notices from their internet provider about the impacts on their monthly bill and other cost-saving options.
- The last day of a fully funded month for the ACP is projected to be April 2024.
- Who will contact me?
- Your provider is required to send three notifications stating:
- that the ACP is ending
- what the impact on your bill will be
- the date of the last bill you will receive that includes the ACP benefit
- that you may change your service or opt-out of continuing service after the end of the ACP
- What can I do?
- Call your provider if you want to continue or cancel service and find out what your options are.
- Check if you are eligible for the Lifeline Program which provides eligible consumers can get up to $9.25 off the cost on phone, internet, or bundled services. Go to https://www.lifelinesupport.org/ for more information.
- Find companies near you that offer Lifeline here: https://cnm.universalservice.org/
- Find out about low-cost plans eligibility requirements here: https://www.digitalinclusion.org/free-low-cost-internet-plans/.
Determine how to continue internet service:
During the ACP Wind-Down:
ACP households are not required to stay with their internet company or continue to receive the same internet service after the end of the ACP.
- Households can decide to opt out (no longer continue internet service after the ACP ends) by contacting their internet company and telling them they would like to drop their internet service.
If households wish to continue to receive internet service, they can:
- select another, lower cost internet plan from the same internet company, or
- start an internet service with a different internet company
ACP households will not be charged termination fees or fees for changing plans with the same or different ACP internet company.
After the ACP ends:
ACP households may have been asked by their internet company if they wish to continue service after the ACP has ended. ACP households may have been asked this when they signed up to receive the ACP discount with their internet company or more recently.
ACP households will continue to receive internet service after the ACP ends if they:
- Previously agreed to continue internet service from their internet company.
- Paid for internet service from their internet company BEFORE they started receiving the ACP discount.
- Currently contribute to the cost of their internet service even with the ACP discount applied.
o This includes households that contribute to the cost of any portion of bundled services (such as those offering voice, internet, and texting or video and internet) that include ACP-supported internet service.
ACP households will NOT continue to receive internet service after the ACP ends, if they:
- DID NOT previously agree to continue internet service after the end of ACP.
- Have not paid their internet company for service.
If a household is not sure if they previously opted in or opted out to receiving service from their internet company after the ACP ends, contact their internet company and discuss their options.
Consumer Protections:
During the ACP Wind-Down, ACP internet companies are still responsible for following the consumer protection requirements in the ACP rules. Some of the ACP rules will continue even after the ACP has ended. The ACP rules include, but are not limited to:
Transferring ACP Discount: During the ACP Wind-Down, households can continue to transfer their ACP discount to other participating internet companies who continue to accept ACP transfers.
Terminating Service: ACP internet companies cannot end an eligible ACP household’s internet service for failure to pay for service until 90 days has passed since the bill due date. However, with advance notice, ACP internet companies can switch the household to a lower-cost internet plan if the household enters a delinquent status after the bill due date. This rule will be in place for as long as the household continues to receive the ACP discount.
Early Termination Fees: If a household applied their ACP discount to an internet plan that has a service contract, the internet company cannot charge the household an early termination fee for ending that service contract early, even after the ACP ends.
Preparing for the ACP Ending:
To prepare for the end of the ACP, households are strongly encouraged to:
- Consistently check their emails, text messages, and mail for notices from their internet company about the ACP ending and how it will impact their internet bill.
- Contact their internet company and ask if they have a lower cost plan and/or a low-income program. When calling their internet company, have account and billing verification information.
- Contact Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) for questions about the wind-down.
Consumers can call the ACP Support Center at 877-384-2575 or go to AffordableConnectivity.gov for information about the status of the program.
Consumers can also file a complaint through the FCC’s Consumer Complaint Center at https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov about ACP billing and service issues.
LEARN MORE
Learn more about the Lowcountry Digital Equity Coalition (LDEC) and keep updated on ACP and tri-county collective digital inclusion activities at www.lowcountrydec.com and LinkedIn page – https://www.linkedin.com/company/96950108/admin/feed/posts/.
Contact LDEC Co-Managers:
Quinetha Fraiser, Quinetha@tricountycradletocareer.org and Stacey Lindbergh, Stacey@tricountycradletocareero.org