Thanks to the Affordable Connectivity Program, millions of households are eligible for internet service at a discount. This federal program, built from the previous Emergency Broadband Benefit Program and Lifeline, makes connecting to jobs, essential services, healthcare, and virtual classrooms easier and more affordable for eligible families.
Households receive a monthly internet service credit that may last several years. Learn how to get started!
Getting Started
The Oklahoma ACP is a new federal benefit to help households pay for internet service. The program builds upon and replaces the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program to ensure that more Americans can afford high-speed Internet to connect to jobs, healthcare, virtual classrooms, and more.
The ACP provides a monthly discount of up to $30 for an internet service plan and equipment (or a one-time device discount of up to $100) from participating providers. To get started, apply online or through your internet provider.
Your internet provider should automatically enroll you in the ACP if you have already received Lifeline. However, if your company does not offer Lifeline, you can find an ISP that offers the program using our ISP search tool.
Providers participating in the ACP will not check your credit, but they may run a background report to verify your identity. This is standard practice to help prevent fraud.
To help make high-speed Internet more affordable, the Biden-Harris Administration has partnered with 20 leading Internet service providers to offer ACP-eligible households high-speed Internet for $30 per month or less. A household can use its ACP subsidy for internet service only, but if it pairs its Internet with one of these devices, it can get high-speed Internet for free. A household can only have one monthly internet subsidy and device discount.
Finding a Provider
Many Internet service providers have added new plans for households qualifying for the Affordable Connectivity Program. These new plans often include faster speeds and more (even unlimited) data. Some special plans can be paired with the $30 monthly subsidy to provide free internet service. Consumers can use this tool to find companies that offer these ACP plans.
A household already receiving Lifeline will automatically be eligible for the ACP program. A provider may check a household’s credit before enrolling them in the ACP program, but they can only use that result to allow a household the opportunity to participate.
In addition to the internet service discounts, the ACP program offers a one-time device discount of up to $100 on laptops, desktop computers, and tablets. In order to be eligible for the device discount, a household must contribute at least $10 but at most $50 toward the purchase price of the device.
In addition to the ACP program, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law created a new grant that supports community-based organizations in bringing online connectivity to communities. This new fund provides a $30 monthly subsidy for internet costs and a one-time subsidy of up to $100 on devices. This grant was created to help ensure that households in need can continue accessing the Internet’s benefits, including jobs, health care services, and virtual classrooms.
Eligibility
The Internet is crucial to many Americans’ daily lives, whether for work, school, or home. However, some families struggle to afford internet service. To help ease this burden, the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) offers a monthly discount on internet service.
Eligibility is based on household income and varies by state. To determine if you are eligible, click here. You can also use this pre-enrollment wizard to answer simple questions and determine if you qualify within minutes. You must provide proof of income, such as tax returns or pay stubs, to complete the enrollment process.
In addition to income-based eligibility, households gain ACP eligibility through participation in other federal programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the Veteran’s Pension and Survivor Benefit, the Social Security Disability Insurance program, the Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance program, Head Start or Federal Pell Grants (current award year). Households that receive Lifeline are automatically enrolled in the ACP.
Payment Options
The Biden-Harris administration secured commitments from leading internet providers to provide ACP-eligible households with a high-speed internet plan for no more than $30 per month and a one-time discount of up to $100 towards a new device. ACP is designed to deliver maximum cost savings and help families access the reliable Internet to work, learn, connect with family, and build a better future.
Millions of Americans have already received support from the Affordable Connectivity Program. The new discount internet program, which replaces the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBBP), gives qualifying households a monthly $30 subsidy or $75 for households on tribal lands for internet service and a wireless hotspot or tablet.
Conclusion
Eligibility is determined by household income. The new program expands eligibility to include households earning up to 200% of the federal poverty guideline, compared to the previous limit of 133%. This includes those receiving SNAP benefits, SSI, WIC, Medicaid, and other public assistance programs.
You can apply online at USAC’s website or contact your Internet service provider and ask them to help you get started. You can also save time and speed up the process by mailing in the required documents to USAC along with your application. The list of participating providers on the USAC site is sorted by state and zip code.
