Through the Affordable Connectivity Program, eligible households can qualify to receive $30 off their monthly internet bill or receive internet at no cost, according to a statement from the White House. Households eligible for the program will also be able to pair their benefit with one of 20 internet providers working with the government to receive internet at no cost.
The program is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides $65 billion to increase access to high-speed internet through broadband infrastructure and lowering the cost of internet access, a White House statement said.
More than 286,000 households in Texas do not have minimum speed broadband, with the majority of those households in rural Texas, according to the 2021 Governor’s Broadband Development Council report. An estimated 819,680 Texans do not have access to broadband, the report said, with about 85% of those people living in rural areas.
Here’s how households can apply for the Affordability Connectivity Program.
Households must be able to qualify for the program
Households can qualify for the program in three different ways. The first is by having a household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. For a household size of one, the income would need to be $27,180 or less. For each additional household member, people will need to add $9,440 for the maximum income to qualify.
The second way to qualify is if the household already qualifies for other federal programs. These programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income and Federal Pell Grant. The White House’s press release contains a list of each program that qualifies.
The third way to qualify for the program is if the household already meets the eligibility requirements for one of the participating broadband providers’ low-income internet programs.
Apply online or by mail
Households can apply for the program using the program’s website or by mailing in an application. The link to apply online can be found at https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/.
The program offers mail-in applications in both English and Spanish. The English version can be accessed at https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/wp-content/uploads/ACP-Application-Form-English.pdf and the Spanish application can be found at https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/ wp-content/uploads/ACP-Application-Form-Spanish.pdf.
Participating companies
There are 20 companies that will offer no out-of-pocket costs for internet access to those participating in the program. However, there are over 1,300 companies that will accept the benefit program and offer $30 off monthly payments. Here are the companies providing free internet access.
Allo Communications
HighFiber
Altice
Astound
AT&T
Breezeline
Comcast
Comporium
Cox Communications
Frontier
IdeaTek
Jackson Energy Authority
mediacom
MLGC
spectrum
Starry
Verizon Fios
Vermont Telephone Company
VexusFiber
wow! Internet, Cable and TV