Jul 30, 2024 19:00:00

It turns out that the internet discount program for low-income earners ended in the United States and many users canceled their internet lines

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a government discount program that offered discounts of up to $30 (approximately 4,620 yen) on monthly internet charges, ended at the end of May 2024 due to budget shortfalls. According to the second quarter (April to June) 2024 report of Charter Communications, which provides internet connection services under the 'Spectrum' brand, the number of users during that period decreased by approximately 150,000, much of which is believed to be due to the end of the ACP.

Affordable Connectivity Program | Federal Communications Commission
https://www.fcc.gov/acp

Charter Announcements Second Quarter 2024 Results
(PDF file)

https://ir.charter.com/static-files/65366067-7f6e-4d4c-816e-911d74f6941a

Low-income homes drop Internet service after Congress kills discount program | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/07/low-income-homes-drop-internet-service-after-congress-kills-discount-program/

According to Charter Communications, which provides internet connection services to 30.4 million individuals and small businesses across the United States, the number of mobile line subscriptions increased by 557,000 in the second quarter of 2024, while the number of internet users decreased by 149,000.

Charter Communications analyzed that while the number of users increased by 70,000 in the same period last year, some people stopped using the service in 2024 because they were no longer able to receive ACP discounts.

The ACP is a program launched by the Biden administration that offers discounts of up to $30 to make internet access affordable for low-income households. The Biden administration has budgeted $6 billion (about 924 billion yen) by the end of December 2024.

In May 2024, when the budget allocation for ACP was difficult, FCC Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel submitted a letter of opinion stating, 'The only short-term solution to maintain ACP is to obtain additional funding from Congress. If additional funding is not promptly allocated, one in six households nationwide that rely on the program will face increased bills and disconnection from the Internet. According to a survey of ACP recipients, 77% of subscribers would change their plan or stop connecting to the Internet if ACP were to disappear.' However, this was unsuccessful, and the ACP ended at the end of May when the budget ran out.

According to Republicans, who opposed the ACP, calling it a 'wasteful program,' there were problems with the program, such as cases in which households that had been using broadband before the program was implemented were eligible to receive the ACP.