There is a new plan revive the Affordable Connectivity Programa pandemic-era initiative that offers low-income households in the US discounts on high-speed internet access.
End of April, The program would run out of funding, which affects millions. But a bipartisan group of senators, led by Ben Ray Luján of California, has proposed using a Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization measure as a vehicle to fund the ACS and other telecom programs totaling $6 billion. Luján's coalition includes Senators JD Vance, Peter Welch, Jacky Rosen, Steve Daines and Roger Wicker.
“More than 23 million households are currently participating in this program, which is more than 55 million people. But it doesn't just benefit these individual families, it also benefits their local communities,” Luján tells WIRED. “It gives families access to better-paying jobs, to training and education to create economic mobility, to better deals on groceries and household goods. Now is the time to save this program.”
The measure also includes a provision for the The Federal Communication Commission's “rip and replace program.” which reimburses U.S. telecom carriers for removing equipment from Chinese manufacturers, including Huawei and ZTE, from their networks and replacing them with less risky technology. Earlier this month the FCC asked Congress for about $2 billion to help strengthen the program, which is facing a shortage. That initiative has been in place since 2020, when the FCC identified Huawei and ZTE as threats to national security and then-President Donald Trump signed the Rip and Replace Act.
“It is also critical that we adequately fund the rip-and-replace program to ensure our country can move forward in efforts to remove and replace untrusted technology equipment. This amendment also gives the FCC the authority to re-auction spectrum licenses to free up airwaves and expand the public's ability to access faster internet speeds and more responsive networks,” Luján said.
The Biden administration has made significant investments in broadband expansion in recent years. In a speech last month said Biden called on Congress to reinvest in the ACP.
“High-speed internet is no longer a luxury, it is an absolute necessity,” Biden said. “Congress must now reauthorize that program.”