The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is working to help build awareness about the Affordable Connectivity Program, a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program. The new long-term benefit will help to lower the cost of broadband service for eligible households struggling to afford internet service. The Affordable Connectivity Program provides: - Up to $30/month discount for broadband service;
- Up to $75/month discount 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 if the household contributes more than $10 but less than $50 toward the purchase price.
The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household. Who is Eligible? A household is eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program if the household income is at or below 200% of theFederal Poverty Guidelines, or if a member of the household meets at leastoneof the criteria outlined at https://www.fcc.gov/acp. Two-Steps to Enroll - Go toACPBenefit.orgto submit an application or print out a mail-in application; and
- Contact your preferred participating provider to select a plan and have the discount applied to your bill.
Some providers may have an alternative application that they will ask you to complete. Eligible households mustboth apply for the program and contact a participating provider to select a service plan. For more information and full details, visit https://www.fcc.gov/acp or call 877-384-2575. Check out the Consumer Outreach Toolkit at https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/community-resources/ Read more about the ACP in the recent White House Fact Sheet: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/09/fact-sheet-president-biden-and-vice-president-harris-reduce-high-speed-internet-costs-for-millions-of-americans/ |