The Affordable Connectivity Program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law subsidized internet service for 23 million households nationwide. Statistics provided by the White House indicate 1,157,054 Ohio households participated in the program.
WASHINGTON, D. C. - A program that provided more than 1 million Ohioans with federally subsidized broadband internet service officially ran out of money Friday, but several internet providers have committed to continuing offering high-speed $30 plans with no data caps and no fees until the end of the year.
indicate 1,157,054 Ohio households participated in the program, saving a total of around $34.3 million each month on their internet bills. The Biden administration asked Congress to continue funding the program. U.S. Sen. JD Vance, a Cincinnati Republican, helped introduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation called the “Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act” that would have provided $7 billion to extend it. All of Ohio’s Democratic U.S. House of Representatives members, as did Republicans Max Miller of Rocky River, Mike Carey of Columbus and Mike Turner of Dayton. But Congress didn’t move it forward. In Thursday letters to chairs of congressional committees with jurisdiction over the Federal Communications Commission’s budget, including Rep. Dave Joyce, who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel urged the program’s continuation.Ohio Congress members want study of East Palestine accident’s long-term health effectsShe said the program’s end could leave many military families and senior citizens “on the wrong side of the digital divide,” cause educational setbacks for the millions of ACP households with school-aged children, and impact approximately 3.4 million rural households and over 300,000 households in Tribal areas. “There continues to be a tremendous need for the ACP and the consistent, reliable benefit it offers to help low-income households in rural, suburban, and urban America get online and stay online,” she wrote. “For the more than 23 million households that count on the ACP, the end of the program means increased bills and increased disconnection. In fact, 77 percent of ACP households in a Commission survey stated that losing the benefit would disrupt their service by making them change their plans or lead to them dropping internet service entirely.” Joyce released a statement that said the FCC relied on using an “emergency” funding requests for the Affordable Connectivity Program instead of including it as part of the regular federal budget. He said the administration’s $6 billion “emergency” request for the program would only be a temporary fix. “If the FCC is going to prioritize bringing affordable high-speed broadband to the country, then it needs to weigh the costs of doing so, and ensure it is implemented in a targeted way to prevent unnecessary payments and waste,” said Joyce. “This program is ripe for Congressional oversight and even the agency’s Inspector General has sounded the alarm on whether the service is going to those it was intended to help.” White House Director of Public Engagement Stephen Benjamin told reporters that the White House has secured voluntary commitments from internet service providers across the private sector to continue offering low-cost high speed internet plans at $30 or less through 2024 for eligible households. The White House said the internet providers offering the low-cost plans collectively cover around 10 million ACP households. “While we’re very happy to see companies pledging to continue these plans, President Biden knows that even $30 is too much for many families,” said Benjamin. “That’s why he’ll continue calling on Congress to restore funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program.” Here’s the White House list of internet providers that are voluntarily offering their current ACP subscribers and other eligible households a high-speed internet plan for $30 per month or less, with no fees and data caps, until the end of 2024: Sabrina Eaton writes about the federal government and politics in Washington, D.C., for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our
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