ACP Fund Continues to Dwindle; No Fix Yet

Of the $14.2 billion originally allocated for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), less than $5 billion remains. And so far, there is not definitive plan to restock the fund and continue the program.

A divided Congress makes it even harder for a legislative fix to emerge, even if it has bipartisan support. A proposal by President Joe Biden for stopgap funding of $6 Billiong to fund the ACP through the end of the year has not been acted on. A longer-term fix to the program will likely require a permanent funding stream. Various proposals have been discussed, including an expansion of the Universal Service Fund, but uncertainty remains.

According to information at https://acpdashboard.com, a website provided by CBAN member Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), funding will run out some time this summer based on current enrollment rates. The ILSR dashboard also shows interesting data points about the ACP, including which states are doing well and which ones are lagging. Overall, an estimated 42% of eligible households are enrolled.