Frequently Asked Questions

The maximum monthly benefit will change from $50 per month to $30 per month for households not located on qualifying Tribal lands. The monthly benefit will remain at $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.

Households have new ways to qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program, such as receiving WIC benefits or having an income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Households that qualified for the Emergency Broadband Benefit due to a substantial loss of income as a result of job loss or furlough since February 29, 2020, or by meeting the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's COVID-19 program, will need to requalify for the Affordable Connectivity Program. You will be contacted by the program administrator (USAC) or your provider if you need to requalify.

You can choose to not apply for the Affordable Connectivity Program with the last four digits of your social security number and instead can provide the following forms of ID from one member of your household:

-Government-issued ID, such as a passport or driver’s license

-Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) documentation, if one member of your household has an ITIN number.

ACP-eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from certain participating providers, with a small copay. To get a discounted device, contact a participating provider. The providers offering discounted devices are listed at https://www.fcc.gov/affordable-connectivity-program-providers.

As long as you meet one or more of the eligibility requirements for the Affordable Connectivity Program, you’re still able to receive the benefit even if your account is past due.

Eligible consumers with a past due balance or a balance in collections are eligible for the benefit.

On a similar note, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) cannot require you to wait for a period of time if you’ve used its service before.

Yes, the benefit is available to eligible new, prior and existing customers of participating providers.

The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount per household, which is defined as any individual or group of individuals who are living together at the same address and share income and expenses.

A household is a group of people who live together and share money even if they are not related to each other.

If you live together and share money, you are one household. If you either don’t live together or you don’t share money, you are two or more households.

You may have to answer questions about your household when you apply for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

One Household Examples

-A married couple who live together must share one ACP benefit

-A parent/guardian and child who live together must share one ACP benefit

-An adult who lives with friends or family who provide financial support must share one ACP benefit

Multiple Household Examples

-4 roommates who live together but do not share money are 4 separate households. All 4 can receive the ACP.

-30 seniors who live in an assisted-living home but do not share money are 30 separate households. All 30 can receive the ACP.

-A student who receives a Federal Pell Grant and lives alone is a different household than his or her parents. Both the student and their parents are separate households and can receive their own benefits.

Note: These are general examples only. If you are unsure about your number of households, download and use our Household Worksheet in https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/wp-content/uploads/acp/documents/household-worksheet.pdf

Lifeline is the FCC's program to help make communications services more affordable for low-income consumers. To participate in the Lifeline program, consumers must either have an income that is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines or participate in certain federal assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Supplemental Security Income, the Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit, or certain Tribal Programs. Find out if you are eligible by reviewing the information available at lifelinesupport.org (click "Do I Qualify?").

No. You must opt-in with your existing provider or request enrollment in the Affordable Connectivity Program program with a participating internet provider and chose an eligible service plan. You can choose to receive the benefit from your current Lifeline service provider or another participating provider.

Yes. You can also combine these benefits with other state and local benefits where available. They can be applied to the same qualifying service or separately to a Lifeline service and an Affordable Connectivity Program service with the same or different providers. For example, an eligible household could have a Lifeline-supported mobile phone service and a separate home internet service that is supported through the Affordable Connectivity Program.

A household may enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program if its school participates in the Community Eligibility Provision or the household separately applied for and has been approved for benefits in the free and reduced price school lunch program or school breakfast program. If a school is offering lunch or breakfast free to all students regardless of income based on a program other than the Community Eligibility Provision - such as through COVID-19 waivers extending the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) or Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) - then the household would not be eligible through the free and reduced price school lunch program or school breakfast program by virtue of an extension of the SSO or SFSP.

Yes. If you qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program, talk to your property manager/landlord and ask that they work with their internet service provider to learn more about the benefits that might be available to you and other eligible residents.

20 leading internet providers offer ACP-eligible households a high-speed internet plan for no more than $30 per month. Eligible families who pair their ACP benefit with one of these plans can receive high-speed internet at no cost.

Yes – they offer a minimum of 100 Mbps download speed, which is fast enough for a typical family of 4 to video conference, stream movies or TV, and more.

Allo Communications

AltaFiber (and Hawaiian Telecom)

Altice (Optimum and Suddenlink)

Astound

AT&T

Breezeline

Comcast

Comporium

Cox Communications

Frontier

IdeaTek

Jackson Energy Authority

Mediacom

MLGC

Spectrum (Charter Communications)

Starry

Verizon (Fios only)

Vermont Telephone Company

Vexus Fiber

Wow! Internet, Cable and TV

You can also choose to apply your ACP benefit to a different provider. There are over 1,300 providers that accept the ACP benefit. To find one near you, visit https://acpbenefit.org/companies-near-me/.

Check with the provider for more information about whether you qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program.

The services and devices will be accessible to and usable by people with disabilities. If you have any concerns about whether your internet service and equipment is accessible, contact the FCC's Disability Rights office at 202-418-2517 for a voice phone call, at 844-432-2275 by videophone, or by email at DRO@fcc.gov.

No. Anyone living on eligible Tribal lands can receive the enhanced Tribal benefit. They do not need to be a member of a Tribe.

Yes. An eligible household on Tribal lands can receive both the $34.25 Lifeline Tribal benefit and the $75 Affordable Connectivity Program benefit. They can be applied to the same qualifying service or separately to a Lifeline service and internet service with the same or different providers as long as the provider is participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program program. For example, an eligible household could have a Lifeline-supported mobile service and a separate home internet service that is supported through the Affordable Connectivity Program.

You can find out more about which areas are eligible Tribal lands by visiting this site: AffordableConnectivity.gov/do-i-qualify/enhanced-tribal-benefit/.

Yes, Your Internet Service Provider can apply the Affordable Connectivity Program benefit to your bundled internet, voice, and texting services, as well as any equipment you need for those services. The benefit can't be applied to TV service, though. So if you bundle your internet with TV, you'll have to pay the TV part of your bill out of your own pocket.

No, the ACP provides a monthly discount on broadband service of up to $30 per eligible household (or up to $75 per eligible household on Tribal lands).  The participating broadband service provider will receive the funds directly from the ACP.

D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, among other territories do qualify for the ACP.

Affordable Connectivity Program applications are now open.

Apply here: https://acpbenefit.org/how-to-apply/

or by calling (877) 384-2575.