Benton Institute: High-Cost Benefit Isn't Going To Break The ACP Bank

Concerns have been growing among digital equity advocates that the Affordable Connectivity Fund (ACP), which has successfully gotten millions of Americans online, may run out of funds before Congress acts to interject more funds or create a permanent funding stream. So a recent FCC announcement that service providers could start applying to be eligible for a larger subsidy in "high-cost" areas raised concerns that the enhanced subsidy could drain the ACP bank even further.

However the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, a top community broadband advocate, says the enhanced subsidy in high-cost areas ($75 instead of $30 per month) will likely have little impact for several reasons, including the limited eligible areas, limited eligible consumers, limited provider participation, and the (potentially) limited duration of the enhanced subsidy.

CLICK HERE to read the full article at the Benton Institute website.