A program to help low-income people pay for broadband ran out of money in May, putting millions of households at risk of losing their internet connections.

The Affordable Connectivity Program, enacted under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provided an internet service discount of up to $30 per month for most eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on tribal lands. 

A bill to appropriate $7 billion to expand the program through fiscal year 2024 failed to reach a vote in the Republican-led House amid President Joe Biden's repeated calls to restore funding. That puts his promise to expand wireless broadband to every American in jeopardy. 

More than 23 million households — 1 in every 6 — were enrolled in the program but haven't been able to get help since May 31. 

"(The Affordable Connectivity Program) was tremendously successful in that 23 million families subscribed out of a possible 50 million," said Christopher Ali, a  Pennsylvania State University telecommunications professor.  "It was a failure because we failed to renew it, and we also failed to anticipate that it would be so successful."

PolitiFact rated Biden's promise as In the Works after he announced more than $42 billion in June 2023 for states to invest in high-speed internet through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program. Although Congress had approved funds for the program as part of the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, Biden's announcement included more specific information about how the money would be divided among states and territories. Since then, all eligible states and territories submitted funding proposals, and a number of states have received final approval. The money will likely be disbursed later this year. 

To receive federal funds from the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program, states must offer a "low-cost broadband service option." Although the Affordable Connectivity Program is a separate initiative, many states incorporated its subsidies into their proposals to meet that requirement.

"Most states have folded ACP into their low cost calculation, so now all of these numbers are off," Ali said.

Analysis from Boston Consulting Group and Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that conducts media research, found that the Affordable Connectivity Program encouraged internet service providers to expand into lower-income communities by ensuring a customer base and a reliable return on investment.

In a May 2023 House hearing on oversight of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, asked administrator Alan Davidson whether the Affordable Connectivity Program's expiration would hurt the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program. 

"The short answer is that it will," Davidson said. 

A March 2024 Federal Communications Commission report said,"​​More work remains to ensure that all Americans have access to advanced telecommunications capability."

The report also said 24 million Americans lacked broadband access as of 2022. 

Without the Affordable Connectivity Program, that number could rise. A recent Federal Communications Commission survey of program recipients shows that 77% of respondents said losing their discount would disrupt their internet connection by making them change their plan or drop their service.

The Biden administration pledged in May to "continue working to ensure everyone in America can access affordable, reliable high-speed internet."

However, Ali told PolitiFact that the Affordable Connectivity Program's expiration could significantly impede that goal.

"I do not think that with 42 billion given inflation, given the lack of ACP, that we are going to get to 100% connectivity," he said. 

"Broadband is absolutely useless unless people can afford it." 

Congress' failure to renew the Affordable Connectivity Program will significantly hinder Biden's ability to extend high-speed internet access to every American. We rate this promise Stalled. 

President Joe Biden's administration has allocated $42.45 billion to states and U.S. territories as part of his pledge to increase broadband internet access to all Americans.

"High-speed internet isn't a luxury anymore; it's become an absolute necessity," Biden said June 26 during a White House event promoting the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program. 

Congress approved funds for the program, alongside other internet access expansion initiatives, as part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill  Biden signed in 2021. The June 26 announcement provided more specific information about how the $42.45 billion will be divided among 50 U.S. states, five territories and the District of Columbia. Eligible entities can use the funds to administer grant programs within their borders, expanding broadband access to underserved communities. 

Once distributed, the funds will further Biden's promise of universal high-speed internet access. 

The allocations range from about $27 million for the U.S. Virgin Islands to $3.3 billion for Texas, according to the Biden administration. Nineteen states received more than $1 billion.

"With these allocations and other Biden administration investments, all 50 states, D.C., and the territories now have the resources to connect every resident and small business to reliable, affordable high-speed internet by 2030," said a White House fact sheet.

States and territories were to begin submitting initial proposals describing how they will administer grant programs July 1. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration will approve these proposals on a rolling basis until Dec. 27. Once a proposal is approved, an eligible entity may receive at least 20% of its allocated funds.

Biden's plan has the potential to provide internet access to some of America's most underserved populations, especially rural and tribal communities. PolitiFact will continue monitoring progress on this pledge; for now, the rating remains In the Works.

President Joe Biden's promise to expand broadband internet to every American took a major step forward with his signing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on Nov. 15, 2021.

The law included many items from Biden's agenda. It was negotiated by a bipartisan group of senators, then passed with bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House.

The roughly $1 trillion measuer includes sections on roads, bridges, waterways, railways, and the electric grid. But it also includes about $65 billion for improving broadband internet access, particularly in rural areas and for lower-income Americans.

It will send more than $42 billion in grant money to states to improve internet access.

"This bill will help address several issues as it relates to access, affordability, and transparency," Jonathan Schwantes, senior policy counsel at Consumer Reports, wrote shortly after the bill's enactment. "This bipartisan effort is critical for ensuring that more Americans, especially the most vulnerable, have a connection to high-speed internet." 

The investments in the bipartisan infrastructure law come on top of funding included in the American Rescue Plan, the coronavirus and economic relief law signed by Biden just weeks into his presidency. The legislation included $350 billion for states to improve their infrastructure, some of which could be spent on broadband, as well as a separate provision called the Capital Projects Fund that could also be used for broadband projects.

The bill's signing is a major step forward, but we'll hold off on crediting Biden with keeping this promise until we see how smoothly the provisions in the laws are implemented on the ground. This remains In the Works.

Joe Biden made a bold promise as a candidate in 2020 — that he'd expand broadband to every American. It's still early, but he made the pledge concrete by including it in his American Jobs Plan, which was his opening proposal in the quest for an infrastructure bill.

In his proposal, Biden compared the need for broadband Internet to the need to electrify the country generations earlier. He said he would "bring affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband to every American, including the more than 35% of rural Americans who lack access to broadband at minimally acceptable speeds."

Specifically, Biden would spend $100 billion to extend broadband infrastructure in underserved areas, prioritizing support for networks affiliated with local governments, nonprofit groups, and cooperatives.

He also proposed increased transparency and competition among internet providers and opened the door to subsidizing individual users who could not otherwise afford access, but the proposal did not include details.

So far, Biden has introduced only a broad outline of legislation he'd like to see; there is no formal bill yet. And passing legislation — which may or may not ultimately include money for broadband  expansion — promises to be a heavy lift.

In fact, bipartisan negotiations over the American Jobs Plan have so far struggled to produce a workable agreement, amid concerns expressed by Republicans that the program costs too much. And in the Senate, support from 60 senators would be required to advance to a final vote, unless Democrats can find a way to pass a measure using the reconciliation process, which requires only a simple majority.

Still, the inclusion of this promise in a high-profile presidential initiative is enough to move it to In the Works.