Why You Can Trust CNET FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program Reaches 20 Million Households
The program provides between $30 and $75 off eligible households' internet bills.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
More than 20 million homes in the US are now getting help paying for their broadband under the government's Affordable Connectivity Program, or the ACP, the Federal Communications Commission said Monday.
The ACP was funded under the Infrastructure Act and aims to help close the digital divide so more people can afford to get online. Those who qualify get $30 a month off their internet bill, or up to $75 monthly for households on Tribal lands. Eligible households can also get a one-time $100 discount to help buy a computer, laptop or tablet.
"For a long time, closing the digital divide focused on one part of the equation -- the lack of physical infrastructure to get online. But we know that for many people, even when there was technically access, the cost to get online was too high," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. "Enrolling more than 20 million eligible households is no small feat."
Locating local internet providers
Here's how to find out if you're eligible to get help in paying for your broadband service through the Affordable Connectivity Program.
If you don't meet the eligibility requirements and are looking for other options, check out whether you could get T-Mobile Home Internet or Verizon 5G Home Internet, as well as the best satellite internet providers and the top Wi-Fi routers for 2023.
Locating local internet providers