Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand has called for action on the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, noting it’s set to expire in the spring without additional funding from Congress.
She argues Wisconsin is “poised to take a major step backwards” on internet access and affordability if the program isn’t extended by federal lawmakers. She’s urging state residents to contact their federal lawmakers to advocate for continuing the program.
“Access to broadband infrastructure alone is not enough to bridge the digital divide,” Strand said yesterday in a statement. “We must ensure internet service is also affordable so everyone can participate in our economy and society. The path to internet affordability starts by extending the ACP.”
In a fact sheet released yesterday, the White House touted the impact of the initiative, enacted under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to reduce internet costs for low-income households and other recipients. About 23 million U.S. households are participating in the program, which provides up to $30 per month for eligible households and up to $75 per month for residents of qualifying tribal lands.
A total of 425,345 households in the state are now enrolled, according to the latest figures on the program. Both in Wisconsin and at the national level, about one in six households is registered.
The state has received about $218 million in funding through the program since it launched at the end of 2021, which breaks down to about $12.4 million in total savings per month, according to the fact sheet.
It also includes a breakdown of funding and household coverage by congressional district. The state’s 4th District, which covers most of Milwaukee, has received the most with about $65 million in funding. Funding for other districts ranges from $15 million in the 5th to $31 million in the 1st.
Gov. Tony Evers last week sent a letter to the state’s federal lawmakers calling for the investments needed to extend the program.
“ACP is critically important to thousands of families and households across every Wisconsin congressional district,” Evers wrote. “Continuing this program is essential to advancing our efforts to end the digital divide and ensure all Wisconsinites have access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet.”
A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers last month introduced a bill that would provide $7 billion in funding for the ACP.
See the fact sheet and Strand’s message.
–By Alex Moe
