Friend,

This is a make-or-break week for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). For nearly three years, this bipartisan program has made massive strides toward closing the digital divide in this country … but all of that could be lost as early as next month if Congress doesn’t invest more funding.

Thankfully, your representative is among the nearly 200 that joined in sponsoring a lifeline: The ACP Extension Act, which would keep the program going through 2024 until a more permanent solution is found. This goes to show that we can and do influence our lawmakers to act on the issues affecting our lives and our communities. If you’d like to see more wins like this, please chip in anything you can to keep our advocacy efforts going strong.

Thanks so much,

All of us at Free Press Action

P.S. Even though your representative is supporting the ACP Extension Act, your senators might not have. A phone call from you today can go a long way toward getting this bill passed in both chambers of Congress.

Friend,

What do you want to hear first: the good news or the bad news? I’m not sure what it says about me, but I always pick the bad news first.

In this case, that came with the FCC’s announcement that April is the last month we'll have full funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).¹ That means that more than 23-million households relying on the ACP’s subsidies to connect online may no longer be able to afford a utility that’s an essential part of daily life.

You can see why that’s the bad news. Now, for the good news …

This week, nearly 200 more lawmakers — from both sides of the aisle — joined in sponsoring the ACP Extension Act,² which will invest enough federal money in this program to keep it afloat for the remainder of 2024. And, friend, that includes your representative! Thanks to all of the calls you made, petitions you signed and awareness you shared on social media, your lawmaker heard the will of the people and is doing the right thing. Today is a good day.

We all fought hard for this good day, so we know they don’t come as easy or as often as they should. Can we count on your continued support as we build on this momentum to get the ACP Extension Act passed ASAP?

Thanks so much,

Heather and the rest of the Free Press Action team
freepress.net

P.S. Even though your representative is supporting the ACP Extension Act, your senators might not be. A phone call from you today can go a long way toward getting this bill passed in both chambers of Congress.

1. “FCC Issues Formal Notice that April is the Final Full Month of ACP Program”, FCC, Mar. 4, 2024

2. “Hundreds of Members of Congress Join in Support of New Funding for an Essential Broadband-Access Program,” Free Press, Mar. 6, 2024