ITIF Plan Would Drain Billions from USF to Fund New ACP

Group says the country needs to elevate affordability over availability

ITIF Plan Would Drain Billions from USF to Fund New ACP
Photo by Kenny Eliason / Unsplash

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2025 – A new plan calls for sunsetting a major broadband deployment support program for rural America to fund a new program designed to make monthly broadband service affordable for millions of eligible households.

The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation released Monday a blueprint for revitalizing the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provided a $30 monthly discount on monthly broadband bills for low income. When the ACP ran out of money on May 31,2024, it was helping 23 million households.

The ITIF proposal – released by Director of Broadband and Spectrum Policy Joe Kane – was predicated on the belief that the availability was no longer causing digital divide issues, but rather the cost of service was the problem.

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