Kimberlyn Barton-Reyes, who is paraplegic and visually impaired, poses for a photo at a rehabilitation center, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Austin, Texas. For Barton-Reyes, the Affordable Connectivity Program is a lifelines and it's one-time allocation of $14.2 billion is projected to run out by the middle of 2024 and that could end access to affordable broadband for her and more than 20 million households.
“Most people are like ‘Internet is not a basic need,’” said Barton-Reyes, who lives in Austin, Texas. “It absolutely is for me.” “ACP is the best tool we’ve ever had to help people afford broadband,“ said Drew Garner, broadband policy advisor for Common Sense Media.“It’s a successful program in many ways, but with a lot of untapped potential because there’s still a long way to go to really make this universal to all people that are eligible for ACP,” said Hernan Galperin, a University of Southern California professor who has researched the program.
Ryan Collins, the broadband program manager of the Buckeye Hills Regional Council in Appalachian Ohio, said the ACP provides crucial assistance. “If the funding drops, all of that momentum will be lost," said Khotan Harmon, senior program officer for the city of Austin."The Affordable Connectivity Program, the popularity of it, I think, is the kind of thing that will create the political-level support necessary for Congress to see that this is, at the end of the day, an appropriate utilization of resources,” Vilsack said on a recent media call announcing new grants to bolster rural broadband.
Biden announced plans in June to distribute $42.5 billion to ensure broadband access for every U.S. home and business. But internet service providers that bid on state contracts will want to be sure they have customers.
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