Vice President Kamala Harris will announce Monday that 10 million households have opted into the Affordable Connectivity Program, the administration’s new low-income broadband access expansion program.
Harris is set to deliver remarks on the milestone Monday afternoon at the White House. She will be joined by Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and White House infrastructure implementation coordinator Mitch Landrieu.
“The President and Vice President have made it a top priority to ensure all Americans have access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet to learn, work, and participate in the 21st century economy. Broadband connectivity is vital for work, school, health care and more,” the White House said in a statement. “President Biden, Vice President Harris, and the entire Administration are committed to changing this through implementation of the broadband provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that address the affordability of internet service, a modern-day necessity.”
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President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law dedicated $14.2 billion in funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program, the administration’s upgraded successor to the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, which will be distributed in $30 and $75 monthly broadband credits to participating homes. Enrollees can also receive one-time $100 stipends to purchase computers or tablets. Biden’s infrastructure law also includes $42.5 billion in funding for states to expand internet access to underserved communities, though those programs will likely not launch until after the 2022 midterm elections.
Households at or below 200% of the 2022 federal Poverty Guidelines can opt into the plan. Alternatively, homes already partaking in SNAP, federal public housing assistance, Medicaid, or a number of tribal-specific programs are also eligible to join.
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You can watch Harris’s remarks in full below.
