NAACP Supports Renewed Funding of the Affordable Connectivity Program

WHEREAS, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) recognizes the social, economic, and educational necessity of broadband connectivity, which has transformed how people attain and perform their jobs, receive an education, access healthcare, and communicate with one another; and

WHEREAS, People of color are less likely to have broadband access at home and are disproportionately harmed by the digital divide, which deepens socioeconomic disparities in their communities; and

WHEREAS, The NAACP recognizes the importance of bridging the digital divide in the United States, and seeks to ensure that cost is not a barrier to the adoption and usage of broadband internet; and

WHEREAS, The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a federal program that subsidized internet service for 23 million low-income households, ran out of congressionally allocated funding and ended in June 2024; and

WHEREAS, the ACP provided eligible households with $30 per month toward broadband service, and up to $75 for those living on qualifying tribal lands; and

WHEREAS, The ACP was available to households that earned less than 200% of the federal poverty line (around $55,000 for a family of four or $27,000 for an individual), and households also qualified if a member of the household participated in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicare, or Lifeline; and

WHEREAS, The ACP made a meaningful difference in the lives millions of Americans, with a Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") survey finding that 72% of ACP subscribers used their internet service to schedule or attend health appointments, 48% used it to apply for jobs or complete work, and 75% of subscribers 18-24 years old used their internet service to complete schoolwork; and

WHEREAS, The same FCC survey found that 15% of ACP enrollees would lose their internet service entirely if the ACP were to end, potentially leaving about 3.5 million households without internet service; and

WHEREAS, The ACP provided significant economic benefits beyond making internet connectivity more affordable, including saving enrolled households $300 per year in medical costs, and generating $2,200 per year in increased employment opportunities; and

WHEREAS, The ACP was also critical for the success of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, which will fund the building of broadband infrastructure in areas lacking access, including rural communities; and

WHEREAS, Minority communities are disproportionately affected by the loss of the ACP, with African American and Latino households representing nearly half of all ACP participants.

WHEREAS, The NAACP strongly supports the reinstatement of the ACP, to help bridge the digital divide and ensure that millions of Americans, especially people of color, regain critical access to the internet.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP calls upon the United States Congress to pass legislation to renew the Affordable Connectivity Program and to continue to fund the ACP in perpetuity.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP opposes legislation to fund the ACP with the provisions that would impose stricter qualification requirements and reduce the number of households eligible for the program.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP also calls upon state governments, local governments, and private internet service providers to invest in programs and infrastructure that help make broadband internet service more affordable for low-income households.