The Future of the ACP Under the Trump Administration

Thanks to the hyperpartisan atmosphere of the last few years, it’s easy to forget that there are issues that both sides of the aisle broadly agree on. The Affordable Connectivity Program was created to accomplish a goal that both Democrats and Republicans hoped to achieve: Bringing broadband access to those who couldn’t afford it.

Funding broadband access should be something that the Donald Trump administration keeps in mind when planning its 2025 agenda.

Bipartisan efforts to expand broadband access

The ACP was created as a permanent successor to the Emergency Broadband Benefit program that was signed into law by President Trump during his first term. Like its predecessor, the ACP provided a monthly stipend toward a household’s internet bill that would reduce or, in many cases, completely cover the cost of internet service.

The program was remarkably successful, but was shut down in 2024 as Congress failed to approve funding for the program. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, never even called for a vote on any of the proposed funding bills.

With the same Republican leadership in the House presumably remaining under the upcoming Trump administration, it’s easy to assume that the status quo will continue. It’s important to note, however, that Republican intransigence under the Joe Biden administration blocked bills from both parties, with ACP funding bills as notable examples.

The most successful attempt to fund the ACP was a bipartisan, bicameral bill introduced in both the House and the Senate in January 2024. Notable among the four original co-sponsors of the Senate bill was Sen. JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate in the 2024 election.

As of May 31, the bill had 263 cosponsors in both the House and Senate: 27 Republicans, 235 Democrats and 1 Independent. Importantly, the House bill had more than enough cosponsors to pass with their votes alone, if the Speaker had brought it to the floor for a vote.

Practical and political necessities

Many of the biggest beneficiaries of the ACP were those living in rural areas like in Vance’s state of Ohio. With inflation and other economic concerns chief among the issues that swayed Trump voters, programs like the ACP would be an easy political win for the new administration.

This wouldn’t even be a pivot for President Trump. When he signed the COVID-19 relief package that included the EBB back in 2020, his primary concern was that the payments to individual citizens were "ridiculously low."

Republicans in Congress also have incentive to pass legislation on low-income internet. While many of them were already on board before the 2024 election, incumbents now have to prepare for elections in 2026 and 2028 when they won’t have Trump at the top of the ticket. They’re going to have to figure out how to energize the Republican base on their own—and letting popular government programs like the ACP linger in an unfunded state of limbo doesn’t sound like the best approach.

It’s also important to remember that the direct beneficiaries of the ACP aren’t the only group that wanted to see the program continue. Steve Forbes, Chairman of Forbes Media, made an appeal to Congress  to fund the program, arguing that the ACP was a cost-effective way to allow Americans to actively participate in the workforce and achieve financial success. Telecom companies were also, unsurprisingly, in favor of funding the ACP, as were countless other businesses and civic organizations across the country.

Americans need broadband access

The question of broadband access is certainly more complicated than the binary issue of ACP funding. We could see the revival of Sen. Vance’s ACP funding bill. We could also see it rebranded as a new program to remove its association with the Biden administration. We could even see a more generous program like the EBB.

Regardless, we should expect the Trump administration to do something. No one in power stands to gain politically from extending our current Congressional deadlock, and households across the country need affordable internet access for work, medical care, and education. Funding broadband access is not a partisan issue. It’s a no-brainer.

Peter Christiansen writes about telecom policy, communications infrastructure, satellite internet, and rural connectivity for HighSpeedInternet.com. Peter holds a PhD in communication from the University of Utah and has been working in tech for more than 15 years as a computer programmer, game developer, filmmaker, and writer. His writing has appeared in Wired, Digital Humanities Now, and the New Statesman. This Expert Opinion is exclusive to Broadband Breakfast.

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