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President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will announce Monday that 20 companies, including AT&T Inc., Comcast Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc., have agreed to offer high-speed internet plans that are essentially free to eligible recipients.
The Affordable Connectivity Program will provide plans of at least 100 Megabits per second of speed for no more than $30. An estimated 48 million Americans will qualify.
“High-speed internet service is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity,” the White House said. “But too many families go without high-speed internet because of the cost or have to cut back on other essentials to make their monthly internet service payments.”
“From large providers like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon serving dozens of states, to smaller providers serving rural areas like Jackson Energy Authority in Tennessee and Comporium in North Carolina, the commitments will allow tens of millions of ACP-eligible households to receive high-speed internet at no cost,” the White House said Sunday in a fact sheet.
To qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program, a member of a given household must meet certain low-income thresholds or participate in any one of the nation’s assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, the Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, Pell Grants, or others.
An estimated 11.5 million households have signed up to participate in the ACP to date.
On a call with reporters Sunday, an administration official made clear that participating companies were partnering with the administration voluntarily. “I want to be clear that we didn’t — we have not offered them anything in order to make these commitments,” the official said.
“We thought that it was important, in terms of providing low-cost options for millions of households, it was important to try to get these companies to reduce their prices, at least for ACP eligible households, 48 million eligible households in the country, and they did so voluntarily,” the official added. “There is not a condition for any federal funding or anything like that, these are voluntary commitments from the companies, and we’re grateful for that.
Per the White House, the 20 providers participating in Monday’s commitment offer coverage for 80% of the country’s population and 50% of the nation’s rural population.
To spread awareness, the administration will launch a new URL, GetInternet.gov, allowing eligible households to connect to internet providers and sign up for the ACP, launch outreach programs through federal programs whose beneficiaries qualify for subsidized internet, and partner with cities and states to get the word out.
