Author

Image of Seamus-Dowdall.jpg

Seamus Dowdall

Legislative Director, Telecommunications & Technology

Upcoming Events

Conference

NACo AI South Regional Forum

Related News

County News

Keep your software up-to-date to prevent risks

Advocacy Alert

In May of 2024, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) exhausted all funding due to a lack of additional congressional appropriations. At its peak, the program enrolled almost 23 million households to receive a monthly benefit to better afford a high-speed internet subscription.

NACo is conducting advocacy to ensure Congress authorizes and appropriates new funding for the program. Get involved in the growing effort to refund the Affordable Connectivity Program. See below for letters from NACo to the White House and Congressional Leadership on a permanent reauthorization and funding of the ACP.

Advocacy Alert

In May of 2024, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) exhausted all funding due to a lack of additional congressional appropriations. At its peak, the program enrolled almost 23 million households to receive a monthly benefit to better afford a high-speed internet subscription.

NACo is conducting advocacy to ensure Congress authorizes and appropriates new funding for the program. Get involved in the growing effort to refund the Affordable Connectivity Program. See below for letters from NACo to the White House and Congressional Leadership on a permanent reauthorization and funding of the ACP.

Internet router

Tell Your County Story To Revive The Affordable Connectivity Program

Have your residents been adversely affected by the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program? Share your county's story with us here to help elevate the importance of this program to Congress.  

How to Get Involved

How Counties Can Get Involved

The ACP provided a long-term investment in broadband affordability and ensures households can access high-speed internet services that are essential for participation in virtual education, telehealth, work and more. With the program's end, counties can fill a major need for continued access to affordable internet access for residents by leveraging partnerships with trusted social service organizations and raising awareness of alternative affordability programs or resources.

There are a variety of ways in which counties can continue to prioritize affordable broadband access, including:

  1. Meet with internet service providers and assess available affordability programs for residents
  2. Explore cooperative purchasing programs to acquire used connectivity devices to distribute to residents-in-need
  3. Leverage the networks of schools, libraries and other anchor institutions to keep residents informed and to provide additional resources
  4. Apply for federal funding to promote digital inclusion programs at the county level for residents in need
  5. Host a press conference or community event to highlight the need to renew the Affordable Connectivity Program

Program Background and Overview

High-Speed Internet Affordability

Access to high-speed internet is required to succeed in the 21st-century economy, but many American households remain unconnected. According to a recent report by the Benton Institute, only about 25 percent of households whose incomes are $25,000 per year or less have both wireline and cellular data plan subscriptions, and for households whose annual incomes are between $25,000 and $50,000, only 52 percent have both wireline and cellular data plan subscriptions. By connecting these households to high-speed internet, we build stronger communities. Through the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program, counties played a central role in providing all residents with an equal chance to connect to high-speed internet in their homes.

FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program and Counties

On December 31 2021, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officially launched the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a $14.2 billion program enacted under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) that replaces the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The ACP provided a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households could also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute between $10 and $50 toward the purchase price.

To participate in the ACP, a member of a household had to meet at least one of the criteria below:

  • Has an income that is at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines
  • Participates in certain assistance programs, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Supplemental Security Income, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or Lifeline
  • Participates in one of several Tribal specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal Head Start (only households meeting the relevant income qualifying standard), Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, or Food Distribution Program on Native American Reservations
  • Is approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision
  • Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year
  • Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating broadband provider’s existing low-income program

The program has ended as of June 1, 2024, and the FCC has provided the below ACP wind-down resources to assist organizations with helping ensure residents have clear communication regarding the end of the program and next steps.

Resources can be found below:

Chatham County, N.C.

Chatham County published a press release on how the ACP will reduce barriers to accessing high-speed and reliable internet access.

LEARN MORE

Erie County, N.Y.

Erie County recently held a press conference on the ACP and how eligible households can benefit from the program.

Learn More

Fairfax County, Va.

Fairfax County published a webpage summarizing the ACP and sharing an FCC produced video about the program. The site also outlines how the ACP protects consumers and provides a link to a list of participating internet service providers.

Learn More

Fulton County, Ga.

Fulton County has partnered with several internet service providers, non-profits and faith organizations to launch the FulCo Digital Ambassador program, which will seek to enroll at least 20,000 qualifying households in the ACP. The county also held an in-person event to help residents enroll in the ACP.

Learn More

Bucks County, Pa.

The Bucks County, Pa. informational site for ACP, how to enroll and eligibility requirements.

Learn More

Montgomery County, Md.

Montgomery County’s Office of Broadband Programs (OBP) published a page on the county’s website outlining the program, eligibility requirements and instructions on how to apply. The page also provides an in-depth list of broadband providers that offer services in the county and a list of low-cost broadband plans available for low-income families.

Montgomery County OBP is also working with ConnectedDMV to provide “Train the Trainer” trainings for staff, volunteers and case workers that want to better understand how to enroll residents in ACP.

Learn More

Volusia County, Fla.

Volusia County Public Library is working to help build awareness about ACP by hosting presentations by FCC consumer experts who will share information about the program. In total, the County intends to host 7 sessions at various branches across the county.

Learn More

King County, Wash.

In conjunction with its Connecting Hennepin program, Hennepin County published information on its website about the Affordable Connectivity Program, eligibility requirements, instructions on how to apply and a list of service plans (and service areas) in the county.

Additionally, the county created co-branded promotional flyers with the FCC and the City of Minneapolis to promote the program. The flyers are available in four languages: English, Hmong, Somali and Spanish. The flyers can be found here.

Learn more

St. Mary’s County, Md.

St. Mary’s County issued a press release to inform the public about the Affordable Connectivity Program and provide a brief overview on program benefits and eligibility requirements. The press release also provided residents with a link to further information on the county’s broadband-related initiatives.

Learn More

Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Cuyahoga County is proposing to enter a 3-year contract with a local nonprofit (PCs for People) to provide 5G fixed wireless internet capable of providing 100 mbps symmetrical internet access to nearly 25,000 residents in many of the County’s least connected communities.

Although the service would cost $15 per month for a resident, the county has noted that residents that qualify for ACP can have the cost fully covered through its $30 per month subsidy. The county has also noted that PCs for People can provide residents with a free or low-cost computer and ACP qualifying families can receive a $100 subsidy toward a computer.

Learn More

Bledsoe, Marion, Rhea, Sequatchie & Van Buren Counties, Tenn.

Bledsoe County School District has created a step-by-step guide on how families of students within its county schools qualify and can apply for ACP funding. Since every student at these schools are eligible to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch or the school breakfast program, every household with a student attending these schools qualifies through their child/dependent (as listed on the FCC ACP guidance).

Learn More

Additional Resources

Counties are also able to request FCC speakers to discuss the ACP further. You can do so by emailing ACPspeakers@fcc.gov.

* Consumer handouts and the fact sheet are also available in Arabic, Chinese-Traditional, Chinese-Simplified, French, Haitian-Creole, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

Related News

AI Capitol Hill
Advocacy

NACo Publishes 2025 AI Policy Priorities Primer

On December 4, NACo published its Key AI Policy Priorities for Counties for the 119th Congress, building on the policy platform proposals voted on and passed at NACo’s 2024 Annual Conference.

Image of Telecom-towers.jpg
Advocacy

NACo Legal Advocacy: McLaughlin Chiropractic Associates, Inc. V. McKesson Corporation

McLaughlin Chiropractic Associates, Inc. V. McKesson Corporation could make it more difficult for counties to challenge FCC orders, many of which have taken steps to preempt and curtail local authority by limiting counties’ abilities to manage their own right of way and assess fair market value permitting and impact fees on providers seeking to construct, modify or extend telecommunications infrastructure in their communities. 

updates
County News

Keep your software up-to-date to prevent risks

Software updates aren’t meant to disrupt your life but are designed to protect and enhance your daily experiences.

passwordstrength
County News

Lock it down: Essential password management

These 10 hints can help you craft strong, secure passwords for various accounts.

Headset
Advocacy

FCC adopts geo-routing requirements for the 988 Hotline

On October 17, the FCC adopted a Report and Order implementing new geo-routing requirements for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Image of 988_GettyImages-1346929901.jpg
Press Release

Counties Applaud Final Rulemaking to Improve 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

The National Association of Counties (NACo) today applauded a unanimous vote by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Board of Commissioners to move forward with georouting for the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Upcoming Events

A group of business professionals gather in front of a sunlit window
Webinar

Mastering Cloud Strategy: Exploring AWS and Azure Potential

As local governments increasingly turn to cloud services to enhance their technological capabilities, it's crucial for county leaders to make informed decisions. Different services are needed for different workloads, and it's challenging to balance the best choice for your overall technology portfolio. Join us for a webinar designed to delve into the essentials of selecting the right cloud service provider for your short and long-term government cloud objectives.

Conference

NACo AI South Regional Forum

Texas Association of Counties

The NACo AI Regional Forum series is convening local government elected officials, appointed officers, department heads, and staff across different geographical regions to provide an educational, hands-on symposium on the landscape of artificial intelligence.

Image of TEST-It-graphic_SPLASH.png
How Fast Is Your Broadband

NACo's TestIT App

NACo has partnered with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and Farm Credit to develop a mobile app designed to identify areas with low or no connectivity to help ensure adequate funding for broadband infrastructure is provided across the country.

Learn More