BROADBAND SUBSIDY PROGRAM THAT MILLIONS USE WILL EXPIRE NEXT YEAR IF CONGRESS DOESN'T ACT

One of the features that President Joe Biden cited in his plan to bring internet to every home and business in the United States by 2030 was affordability. But an important federal program established to keep broadband costs down for low-income households is set to expire next year.

The Affordable Connectivity Program has not reached everyone who is eligible. According to enrollment and census data, less than than 40% of eligible households have utilized the program, which provides monthly subsidies of $30, and in some cases, up to $75, to help pay for internet connections.

Still, the program has been a lifeline for Kimberlyn Barton-Reyes, who is paraplegic and visually impaired. Barton-Reyes did not have to wait for an in-person appointment when a seizure-alert system disconnected from her electric wheelchair in November. The company that services her chair assessed the problem remotely, ordered the parts she needed and got the chair fixed quickly.

“Most people are like ‘Internet is not a basic need,’” said Barton-Reyes, who lives in Austin, Texas. “It absolutely is for me.”

Barton-Reyes relies on Social Security disability insurance for her income while she takes part in a vocational program for adults who are newly blind. She is able to pay for her internet connection with an assist from the Affordable Connectivity Program. Barton-Reyes, who said an autoimmune issue damaged her vision, is working to get other eligible Austin residents signed up, too.

But the program’s future is uncertain. Its primary source of funding, a $14.2 billion allocation, is projected to run out by the middle of 2024.

That could end access to affordable broadband for millions of people and hinder the Biden administration’s push to bring connectivity to the people who need it most.

“ACP is the best tool we’ve ever had to help people afford broadband,” said Drew Garner, broadband policy advisor for Common Sense Media.