Broadband Advocacy Actions
Send a Letter in Support of the Affordable Connectivity Program
What is the Affordable Connectivity Program?
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a Federal Communication Commission program that helps families and households struggling to afford internet service needed for work, school, healthcare and more.
The benefit provides:
- A discount of up to $30/month for internet service (or a discount up to $75/month for households on qualifying Tribal lands); and
- A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet purchased through a participating provider.
Learn more about the Affordable Connectivity Program.
What is this AdkAction Advocacy Action for?
This winter, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it is going to “wind down” the Affordable Connectivity Program in Spring 2024. Without additional funding from Congress, the allotted $14.2 billion to fund the ACP is projected to run out in April 2024. (This date is an estimate and may change.) As a result, the FCC has begun taking steps to wind down the ACP, which means:
- ACP applications and enrollments are no longer being processed as of February 7, 2024.
- Households who have applied, been approved, and are receiving the monthly internet discount before February 7, 2024 will continue to receive their ACP benefit until ACP funds run out, as long as the household remains enrolled in the program.
- After the ACP funds run out (projected in April 2024), households participating in the ACP will no longer receive the ACP discounts.
More information about the ACP Wind Down.
To show your support for this program and urge our local leaders to take action on this issue, we encourage you to use the following template to write to your district Assembly and Senate representatives.
Use the following template and/or links below to send a letter or email in support of the Affordable Connectivity Program to your state Assembly and Senate members before the end of April 2024. The following links direct you to the contact forms and contact information for each of the following local representatives:
- Send letter to NY Assemblyman Billy Jones – Assembly District 115
- Send letter to NY Assemblyman Kenneth Blankenbush – Assembly District 117
- Send letter to NY Assemblyman Matt Simpson – Assembly District 114
- Send letter to NY Assemblyman Robert Smullen – Assembly District 118
- Send letter to NY Senator Dan Stec – 45th District
- Send letter to NY Senator Mark Walczyk – 49th District
Download the letter template here or copy and paste the following text to send in either an email or as a physical letter to your local representatives. Please feel free to personalize your letter as you see fit:
Your Name
Address
City, NY Zip Code
[Insert Date]
[Insert Senator’s Name]
[Senator or Assemblyman Address]
Dear Senator or Assemblyman [Insert Last Name]:
As a resident deeply invested in the welfare of our community, I am writing to express my unwavering support for extending the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The looming shutdown of the ACP in April 2024 poses a significant concern for me, my family, and our community who are dedicated to enhancing broadband access in the Adirondack region.
We have seen firsthand the transformative impact of the ACP on our communities. Currently, almost 59,000 households across eleven northern New York counties, are receiving a total monthly subsidy of over $1,870,000 from this program. However, without an extension of federal funding, this vital financial support will vanish.
The ACP has been instrumental in narrowing the digital divide in our area, where difficult terrain and low population density present unique obstacles to broadband expansion. Extending this program is crucial to sustain the progress we’ve made in promoting digital inclusion and ensuring that every member of our community has access to affordable high-speed internet.
In today’s digital age, internet access is no longer a luxury but a necessity, impacting essential aspects of life such as public safety, education, healthcare, and employment. By extending the ACP, the FCC can provide much-needed support to underserved and rural areas like ours, enabling us to continue benefiting from affordable internet access.
Furthermore, an extension of the program would offer certainty and support to broadband providers, encouraging investment in infrastructure upgrades and expansion projects, ultimately enhancing connectivity in our communities. We implore the FCC to consider the significance of extending the Affordable Connectivity Program, especially for rural and underserved areas like the Adirondacks.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]