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Policy & Regulation

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

A federal subsidy program that provided up to $30/month ($75 on tribal lands) toward internet bills for qualifying low-income households. The program ended in June 2024 after funding expired.

What It Means

At its peak, ACP served over 23 million households, making it the largest broadband affordability program in U.S. history. Congress funded ACP with $14.2 billion through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. When funding ran out in mid-2024, millions of households lost their subsidy. Several ISPs created low-cost plans to retain former ACP subscribers, but many households saw their bills increase by $30 or more. Proposals to revive the program have been introduced in Congress but have not passed as of 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "Affordable Connectivity Program" mean?

A federal subsidy program that provided up to $30/month ($75 on tribal lands) toward internet bills for qualifying low-income households. The program ended in June 2024 after funding expired.

Why does Affordable Connectivity Program matter for internet quality?

At its peak, ACP served over 23 million households, making it the largest broadband affordability program in U.S. history. Congress funded ACP with $14.2 billion through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. When funding ran out in mid-2024, millions of households lost their subsidy. Several I...

Related Terms

Broadband
High-speed internet access that is always on and faster than traditional dial-up. The FCC defines broadband as a minimum of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload as of 2024.
Digital Divide
The gap between communities with access to fast, reliable, affordable internet and those without. Disproportionately affects rural, low-income, and tribal areas.
BEAD Program
The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program — a $42.5 billion federal initiative to expand broadband access to underserved and unserved areas across all 50 states.
FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC)
The FCC's address-level broadband availability database that replaced the older Form 477 system. Collects data from every ISP twice a year covering over 116 million locations.

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About This Data

Definitions based on FCC standards, industry specifications, and federal broadband policy. Speed benchmarks reflect 2024 FCC standards. See our methodology.