What ACP Was — Scope and Mechanics
The Affordable Connectivity Program was established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November 2021 and began enrolling households in January 2022. At its peak (late 2023), it served 23.2 million households — making it the largest federal broadband subsidy in U.S. history. The benefit: $30/month off qualifying broadband service ($75/month on Tribal lands) for households at or below 200% FPL, or participating in SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, Federal Public Housing, veterans benefits, school lunch programs, or Pell Grants. An additional one-time $100 connected device benefit (laptop, tablet, or desktop) was available through the program.
Unlike Lifeline (primarily wireless providers), ACP enrolled major cable and fiber ISPs — Comcast, Charter/Spectrum, AT&T, Verizon, Cox, and others — allowing households to apply the benefit to their existing or new home internet plan.
The ACP + Lifeline Combination
For households qualifying for both (most qualifying ACP households also qualified for Lifeline), the two discounts could be stacked: $30 ACP + $9.25 Lifeline = up to $39.25/month off broadband. Comcast Internet Essentials ($9.95/mo): after ACP + Lifeline = $0. This zero-cost combination brought millions of households online for the first time. The ACP's end ended this combination — those households now face $9.95–$25/month for the same service that was free.
Why It Ended
Simple: the $14.2 billion appropriation was exhausted. The FCC announced the end date months in advance as funding ran low. Congress considered bipartisan extension bills in 2023–2024 but failed to pass them before June 1, 2024. Cost ($6B/year to sustain), funding mechanism disputes, and the broader difficulty of new spending in the legislative environment all contributed. The program ended as scheduled — a notable policy reversal from the broadband expansion intent of the Infrastructure Act.
What Happened to Households After
The end was immediate: all 23.2 million enrolled households lost the benefit on June 1, 2024. Internet costs rose by $30/month for all former participants. Surveys found 20–30% of former recipients disconnected service — the "homework gap" (students without home internet) widened again, reversing years of progress. ISPs that had created plans specifically optimized for ACP (priced at the $30 benefit) had to restructure their offerings.
Best Alternatives in 2026
For households previously relying on ACP: (1) Check whether Comcast, AT&T, Cox, or Spectrum serves your address — their low-income programs ($9.95–$24.99/mo) are independently funded. (2) Apply for Lifeline ($9.25/mo) at lifelinesupport.org if not already enrolled — can be combined with ISP low-income plans for maximum discount. (3) Consider T-Mobile or Verizon fixed wireless home internet (5G home) in areas with strong coverage — sometimes competitive with cable pricing. The Lifeline Eligibility Checker shows available options for your specific address. See also ACP Internet Discount Program for a current ISP program comparison table.
Congressional Proposals for a Successor
Multiple bills to restore ACP or create a successor have been introduced in the 118th and 119th Congresses — none enacted as of mid-2026. Proposals range from full ACP restoration ($30/month, 200% FPL) to a scaled-back successor ($15–$20/month at a lower threshold). The primary barrier remains funding cost vs deficit concerns. The BEAD program ($42.5B for broadband infrastructure buildout) continues deploying to expand network availability in unserved areas, but doesn't directly subsidize monthly bills. Monitor fcc.gov and nlihc.org for updates on federal broadband assistance developments.