The Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Broadband Team, announces with the FCC, wind-down of the Affordable Connectivity Program.
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a U.S. government initiative aimed at providing financial assistance to make internet services more affordable for eligible households. The program was established by Congress as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, appropriating $14.2 billion. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was tasked to develop and implement the ACP as well as ACP outreach and awareness activities. As of January 2024, over 22 million households are enrolled and receiving the ACP monthly benefit.
Key Dates:
January 22, 2023: Land Use, Tribal Broadband ACP Outreach Specialist sign-up and assistance utilizing the TERO Office from 9:00am – 4:30pm (M-F)
January 25, 2024: Internet providers must provide the first of three required notices of the program’s projected end to ACP households by this date, to generally advise enrollees about the possibility of program termination and the potential impact on their broadband service and bills when the program ends. All notices must be sent to ACP households in writing and be accessible to persons with disabilities, and should be sent using the consumer’s preferred delivery format and language.
February 1, 2024: Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Affordable Connectivity Program Sign up Event from 9:00am – 6:00pm at the Racehorse Room.
February 7, 2024: Cease enrolling households after this date; the systems for accepting consumer applications and enrollment processing will become unavailable at 11:59 p.m. EST.
April 2024: Projected final service month for which ACP can fully reimburse providers for ACP discounts. Beginning February 1, 2024, providers must submit reimbursement claims no later than the first day of the second month after the snapshot date, with all claims for upward adjustment due by April 1, 2024.
May 2024: Partial provider claims for discounted service provided during this month may be available if funding remains, and will be disbursed on a pro-rata basis. To avoid financial hardship, ACP providers may choose whether to forgo providing ACP service and receiving partial payment for discounts passed through to ACP households after the last fully funded month.
To get started, households can visit Affordable Connectivity Program to see if they qualify, what documents they will need at the time of application.