Whether you’re talking with family on a video call or applying for a job online, high-speed internet is becoming an essential part of everyday life. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is working to help more people make those online connections without breaking the bank.
The program from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provides savings for people’s internet plans to stay connected with family, work, and school. As of August 14th, 2023, more than 20 million households have enrolled to receive assistance with their bills.
ACP is the largest effort to help people affordably access the internet in U.S. history. The program was launched at the end of 2021 and grew out of a temporary emergency broadband program that was created during the pandemic.
Eligible households can save up to $30 on their monthly internet bill and those on qualifying Tribal lands, like the Wind River Reservation, can save up to $75. More than 282,000 tribal households are currently enrolled in the affordable connectivity program.
Bambi Kraus, the Chief of the FCC’s Office of Native Affairs and Policy ,said the enhanced benefits for those on Tribal lands helps level the playing field.
“It’s just assumed that people have this type of access, when I know and others know that it's simply not either available or it's just out of reach, in terms of being able to afford it,” she said.
A household is eligible for ACP if their income is at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or if anyone in the household participates in certain government assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), or Medicaid, or in Tribal-specific programs like Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance or Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Households that meet one of the above requirements and are on qualifying Tribal lands are eligible for the enhanced benefit of up to $75 a month. Tribal lands that qualify for the program include former reservations in Oklahoma, Alaska Native regions, Hawaiian Home Lands, Indian allotments, and any federally recognized tribe’s reservation, pueblo, or colony.
Kraus said that having access to high-speed internet is essential for staying connected with her Native relatives while living in Washington, D.C.
“One of the things I use my high speed internet for is to be on social media to keep in touch with my Tlingit relatives in Kake in southeast Alaska. And it's like they're right there, I can see what's going on in the village and say hi to my relatives,” she said.
Kraus also said having access to the internet on Tribal lands is crucial for Native communities that have been able to operate their own cultural preservation and language revitalization programs to connect elders and young people. To Kraus, ACP is vital in helping people complete daily online tasks and stay connected to an ever-changing world.
“People in the United States and on Tribal lands really do want to stay informed, and this is a way to provide them access to get information that they may not be otherwise able to get,” she said.
All households who qualify for the program can also receive a discount of up to $100 to buy a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet.
To learn more about the program and eligibility requirements, visit getinternet.gov. For those who would like to request a printed application, call 877-384-2575 to receive a copy of the application in the mail.
