Congressman Dan Goldman Takes Action to Secure Affordable Internet Access for All New Yorkers

‘Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act’ Extends Critical Funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program

Goldman Also Urged Congressional Leadership to Fully Fund Affordable Connectivity Program Through 2024

One in Four NY Households Rely on the Program, With Funding Set to Expire Next Month

Read the Bill Here

Read the Letter Here

Washington, DC – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) today fought to protect the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) by cosponsoring the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act and urging Congressional Leadership to fully fund the program through 2024. Since its enactment, around 23 million households have used the program's discount of up to $30 per month for internet service. In New York, nearly 1.8 million households – approximately 25 percent of all New York families – rely on the program.

“Access to affordable, dependable internet is a prerequisite to living and working in our digital economy,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “A lapse in funding for the ACP would be detrimental to the millions of New Yorkers who rely on the program to go to work, school, take care of their health, and remain connected with loved ones. It is 2024 – internet access is no longer a luxury, it’s a critical utility that every household needs to function.”

The Affordable Connectivity Program currently provides $30 per month to eligible low-income households and $75 per month for households on Tribal lands. If a funding extension is not passed, the federal government will not have the funds necessary to provide the full monthly benefits to all enrollees beyond April, imperiling high-speed internet access for the 23 million households. A funding lapse would force internet providers to disenroll households and then attempt to re-enroll the same households in the future, imposing large costs for providers that would discourage companies’ participation.

Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act

Congressman Dan Goldman joined Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) in introducing the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act. This legislation allocates $7 billion for the ACP, which provides affordable high-speed internet options to qualifying households across the U.S.

The ‘Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act’ is supported by over 400 organizations, including: AARP, American Civil Liberties Union, AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Communications Workers of America, Cox Communications, CTIA – The Wireless Association, INCOMPAS, NAACP, NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association, T-Mobile, USTelecom, Verizon, Wireless Infrastructure Association, and WTA – Advocates for Rural Broadband.

Letter to Congressional Leadership

Congressman Dan Goldman also joined Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and 157 members of Congress in calling on Congressional Leadership to take immediate action to preserve the Affordable Connectivity Program. The members specifically call on Congressional leaders to fund the ACP through 2024 to avoid any lapse in funding, which would have detrimental effects on the program.

The members note that this additional funding would give lawmakers the much-needed time to build consensus around a bipartisan set of reforms for the long-term health of the ACP.

Read the letter here or below:

Dear Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Leader Schumer, and Leader McConnell:

We write today regarding the urgent need to preserve the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). As you know, the Federal Communications Commission has stated that without Congressional action, remaining ACP funds are insufficient to provide the full monthly benefit to enrollees beyond April 2024. We request that Congressional Leadership take action in the immediate future to prevent a lapse in funding that would result in a wind-down of the program. At a time when broadband accessibility is more important than ever, we cannot afford to lose the progress we have made in our efforts to bridge the digital divide.

Established originally as the Emergency Broadband Benefit and signed into law under President Trump, the renamed Affordable Connectivity Program currently provides $30 per month to eligible low-income households and $75 per month for households on Tribal lands. The success of this program is undeniable as nearly 23 million American homes are currently enrolled in the program. Of those 23 million households, nearly half are military families worried about losing contact with their loved ones, 19% are households with seniors concerned about losing access to government benefits like Medicare and Social Security, and 26% live in rural communities. Notably, Louisiana (31%), Kentucky (26%), and New York (23%) are among the top five states in terms of ACP enrollment per household.

Reliable, affordable broadband access is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity in this increasingly digital age. Broadband access is essential with respect to accessing education, healthcare, financial opportunities, civic engagement, and more. As we saw with the COVID-19 pandemic, our education system heavily relies on broadband access as students around the country transitioned to remote learning. Remote learning also provides older Americans the flexibility often needed to complete degree and skill development programs. The proliferation of telehealth programs has also led to improved health outcomes, particularly for the elderly and those in rural communities. Moreover, telehealth reduces healthcare costs by preventing unnecessary emergency room visits and promoting a more proactive approach to healthcare management. Further, many essential government services have moved online. Today, Americans rely on broadband access to complete tasks like applying forunemployment benefits, accessing social services, paying student loans, filing taxes, registering to vote, and more. The ACP provides a lifeline to civic engagement and plays an important role in promoting innovation and competition. The program allows the federal government to leverage private sector expertise and resources to expand access to broadband in a cost-effective manner, which in turn promotes greater competition among Internet Service Providers. Finally, efforts to close the digital divide are a fiscally responsible investment for our future. As more Americans increase their educational and skill levels, improve their health with telehealth services, and become more engaged members of our civil society, we can avoid the long-term costs associated with sustained social inequality and reliance on government services.

Not only is the Affordable Connectivity Program a practical investment in America, it is wildly popular. This technology-neutral program is backed by a strong, bipartisan majority of voters, as polling has shown that 62% of Republicans, 78% of Independents, and 96% of Democrats support continuing the program. Furthermore, as you all are aware, the ACP is also strongly supported by a bipartisan cross-section of Members of Congress, including the Rural Broadband Caucus, Problem Solvers Caucus and Tri-Caucus, Governors across the country, the US Conference of Mayors, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Association of Counties, the US Chamber of Commerce, the ACLU, a number of prominent non-profit organizations, and countless other civil society and community-based organizations, municipalities, and corporations alike. The chorus of voices calling for the continuation of the ACP is growing stronger by the day.

Your leadership on this issue is of the utmost importance and urgently needed. As we approach the wind-down period, there are ongoing conversations about adjusting the eligibility requirements to enroll and figuring out a long-term, sustainable funding solution to keep this critical program alive for years to come. While those negotiations continue, we must prioritize funding for the rest of 2024 in order to provide enough time to build consensus around a bipartisan set of reforms for the long-term health of the ACP. Even a short lapse in the program will have devastating consequences. According to a recent FCC survey, nearly half of respondents reported having either no internet service or relying solely on mobile internet service prior to receiving their ACP benefit. Allowing the ACP to lapse for any length of time will result in a loss in trust in the program and the federal government among consumers who have come to rely on the monthly benefit and must be avoided at all costs. A potential wind-down followed by an attempt to re-enroll customers may prove too costly to providers, disincentivizing future participation in the program. We must prioritize keeping the program alive for the duration of this year to allow Congress the opportunity to reach agreement without undoing the progress made to close the digital divide.

We thank you for your prompt attention to this critical broadband affordability program and urge you to meet this moment. The time has come to provide the millions of Americans with the assurance that this program will continue to serve them now and into the future. We stand ready to work with you on ensuring the Affordable Connectivity Program’s survival and await your response.

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