ITIF Plan Would Drain Billions from USF to Fund New ACP

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.