0
Your cart
Your cart is empty.
Please go to Shop Now
Product Price Quantity Subtotal
Understanding the Affordable Connectivity Program with Spectrum- A Comprehensive Overview_11zon_11zon

Understanding the Affordable Connectivity Program with Spectrum: A Comprehensive Overview

Introduction

Hoping to bring high-speed internet to lower-income Americans, the US federal government launched the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) on December 31, 2021. This program ended on June 1, 2024.

While the ACP was active, Spectrum played an important part in this national undertaking, supporting federal efforts aimed at closing America’s digital divide. This article aims to review the program’s impact and structure, how it shifted the affordable internet landscape, and how it may influence the future.

What Was the Affordable Connectivity Program?

The ACP was an advancement of the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program, which was launched in mid-2021 to help low-income households pay for broadband during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ACP effectively continued the EBB, providing an estimated 48 million Americans with plans of at least 100 megabits per second (mpbs) at low costs.

Several major internet providers, including Spectrum, participated in the program.  

Spectrum’s Role in the Affordable Connectivity Program

While the ACP was active, Spectrum provided eligible customers with a recurring credit of up to $30 per month (and up to $75 on Tribal Lands) on their internet bills. Customers could qualify for the credit if they belonged to certain government programs, including Medicaid, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and Social Security; or if they were a protected veteran or received a Survivor’s Pension.

Though the ACP officially ended in June 2024, the federal government ceased taking new applications for the program in February of that year. Spectrum continued to provide its ACP customers with fully-funded discounts through April, and then partial credits in May.

Conclusion

Even though the Affordable Connectivity Program has ended, there is still a need for affordable internet. Spectrum has actually offered such a program since 2016, predating the ACP by half a decade. Spectrum Internet Assist offers a no-contract, no-data-cap plan to qualifying households for $25 per month (and includes an Unlimited Mobile line for one year). 

This plan provides speeds of 50 megabits per second (mbps), but Spectrum’s next lowest plan offers 100 mbps for just $5 more per month. To learn more about Spectrum’s plans and whether you might be eligible for affordable pricing, you can speak to the internet experts at SmarterHome.ai. Call us today!

Please wait while we process your search request.

Skip to content