There’s a new plan Revitalize the Affordable Connect Programa pandemic-era initiative to provide low-income households in the United States with discounts on high-speed Internet access.
At the end of April, Funding for the program has dried up, affecting millions of people. But a bipartisan group of senators, led by Ben Ray Luján of California, has proposed using the Federal Aviation Administration’s reauthorization measure as a vehicle to fund ACP and other telecommunications programs at a total worth 6 billion USD. Luján’s coalition includes senators JD Vance, Peter Welch, Jacky Rosen, Steve Daines and Roger Wicker.
“Currently, there are more than 23 million households participating in this program, which is more than 55 million people. But it not only benefits these individual families, it also benefits their local communities,” Luján told WIRED. “It gives families access to better-paying jobs, training and education to create economic mobility, to get better deals on groceries and household goods . Now is the time to save this program.”
The measure also includes a provision Federal Communications Commission “Split and Replace Program.” Refunds to US telecom providers for removing equipment from Chinese manufacturers including Huawei and ZTE from their networks and replacing it with less risky technology. In the first day of this month, The FCC asked Congress to spend about $2 billion to help strengthen programs that are experiencing shortages. That initiative has been in the works since 2020, which is when the FCC identified Huawei and ZTE as national security threats, and then-President Donald Trump signed the “tear and replace” bill. ” into law.
“It is also important that we fully fund the ‘tear and replace’ program to ensure our country can move forward with efforts to remove and replace unreliable technology devices. This amendment also empowers the FCC to re-auction spectrum licenses to free up airwaves and provide more opportunities for the public to access faster Internet speeds and more responsive networks,” Luján said.
The Biden administration has invested significantly in broadband expansion over the past several years. In a speech last month, Biden calls on Congress to reinvest in ACP.
“High-speed internet is no longer a luxury, it’s an absolute necessity,” Biden said. “Congress needs to reauthorize that program now.”
