Affordable Connectivity Plan

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)?

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a federal program that offers eligible households a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 toward the purchase of a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if the household contributes more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.

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What does possible shut down mean for the ACP?

In 2021, Congress established the ACP in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and appropriated $14.2 billion for the program. Current ACP funding is projected to run out at the end of April 2024. As of January 2024, Congress has not appropriated additional funding for the ACP to keep the program going beyond April 2024. As a result, the FCC has begun taking steps to wind down the ACP. Wind-down steps will result in ending the ACP at which time enrolled households will no longer receive the program discounts.
Wind-down steps will include, but are not limited to:
- A freeze on new ACP applications and enrollment. The last day to enroll in the ACP is February 7, 2024, by 11:59 PM ET.
- Households that are enrolled by 11:59 p.m. ET on February 7, 2024 can continue receiving monthly discounted broadband service from their internet company through the end of the ACP, which is currently projected to be April 2024.
- Outreach with national and local representatives and organizations to help raise awareness about the ACP coming to an end.

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ACP Data for Puerto Rico

6663,038 households enrolled in the ACP program as of January 2024.
65% of eligible households enrolled in the ACP program.
$386,073,448 total investment on the island as of November 2023 ($19.2 million monthly).
66 internet providers in Puerto Rico currently offering ACP to their customers.

For ghraphics: https://www.smartisland.pr.gov/acp

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Possible shut down and Solutions for Puerto Rico

The Government of Puerto Rico has been working collaboratively with other states, territories, and the Telecommunications industry to explore viable solutions for the continuation of this subsidy, seeking alternatives and fund availability.
The Puerto Rico Broadband Program, Smart Island, is committed to supporting all efforts for the approval of additional funds and any other issues that could contribute to the benefit of our citizens.
Letters have been sent to various congress members and Governors working in the same direction, as a critical sector of Puerto Rico will be affected by the program's completion, given that 65% of the population is eligible, and over 600 thousand households currently benefit. In the event of a public hearing on the matter in Washington, the Smart Island program will participate and present the impact of ACP on Puerto Rico.
On January 30, 2024, the Smart Island program will hold a meeting of the Digital Equity Subcommittee, with the FCC present to explain the possible termination of ACP and how the coming months will be managed with challenges and opportunities.
In February, the Smart Island program will visit Washington DC as part of the official trip to the National Governors Association and will have several meetings with entities on this important issue.
The program invites you to provide comments on the importance of ACP and its extension to: info@smartisland.pr.gov.

Federal Projects related to ACP:

H.R 6929: Federal House of Representatives Project - Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024: Proposing an injection of $7,000 million to extend the subsidy's life. For more information, visit this link.
S.3565: Simultaneously submitted project in the Federal Senate. For more information, visit this link.

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Completion of the ACP includes, among other measures, the following

The acceptance of new applications or registrations is suspended. The last day of registration in the ACP is February 7, 2024, until 11:59 p.m. m. ET (US Eastern Time).
Households that have registered by 11:59 p.m. ET on February 7, 2024 can continue to receive a monthly discount on their broadband internet service through the month of April 2024.
Outreach activities aimed at encouraging registration in the ACP, aimed at representatives and organizations at the national and local, are on pause until further notice.

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What are the important dates I should be aware of regarding the ACP wind-down?

January 11, 2024: The FCC released an Order laying out wind-down processes and important dates including the enrollment freeze and the impacts on consumers, internet companies, and ACP Outreach Grant recipients.
February 7, 2024: This is the last day the ACP will accept new applications and enrollments. Eligible households must be approved and enrolled with an internet company by 11:59 PM ET on February 7th to receive the ACP benefit. Starting February 8, 2024, there will be no more enrollments into the ACP.
Starting late January 2024: Households that are currently receiving a monthly ACP benefit will start to receive notices from their internet companies with information about the end of the ACP benefit. This information will include timing of the end of the program and the impact of the loss of the benefit on the household's bill and service.
April 2024: The FCC anticipates existing ACP funding to run out at the end of April 2024 if Congress does not provide additional funding. Consumers that are enrolled in the ACP will continue to receive their benefit on their internet service through April 2024. This date is an estimate and may change.
- Puerto Rico: The Smart Island program has created informative graphics for social media about the process, based on information received from the FCC for these purposes.
- Puerto Rico: The Smart Island program has designed an informative one-pager about the program's end to share with the Digital Equity Subcommittee, Advisory Committee, and Program partners for them to be aware of the changes and inform their organizations and populations.
- Puerto Rico: The Smart Island program will hold a meeting of the Digital Equity Subcommittee on January 30, 2024, and the agenda will include the presence of the FCC, who will explain the possible termination of ACP and how it will be managed in the coming months with challenges and opportunities.
- Puerto Rico: The Smart Island program will be visiting Washington DC as part of the official trip to the National Governors Association in February and will have several meetings with entities on this important issue.

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What does the "last fully funded month of the ACP" mean?

The phrase "last fully funded month of the ACP" refers to the last month ACP households will receive the full ACP benefit received in prior months. As funds for the ACP deplete, any remaining funds after the last fully funded month may be distributed the following month to benefit recipients on a reduced basis. This means that households may not receive the full $30 benefit. Your internet company will decide whether it will provide a reduced benefit. Contact your internet company for information on when you should last expect to see an ACP benefit on your monthly internet bill.

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What happens if Congress provides additional funding for the ACP?

If Congress decides to provide more funding for the ACP, the FCC will provide further guidance and instructions on how the ACP will proceed at that time.

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As a current household receiving the ACP benefit, what will the notices from internet companies to ACP households look like?

Timing: Internet companies will send three (3) required written notices to their ACP households:
- You should have received the first notice by January 25, 2024;
- The second will be within 14 days after announcement by the FCC of the last fully funded month of the ACP; and
- The third will be simultaneous with the last bill/billing cycle in which the full ACP benefit is applied before the program ends.
Internet companies are encouraged to send notices in the same way they usually communicate with the household, including in the household's preferred language. You may receive these notices from your internet company by e-mail, text, in the mail, or along with your bill.
Content: The first notice households will receive in January 2024 will tell households about the possible upcoming end of ACP and its potential impact to the ACP households' bills. The second and third notices must inform ACP households of the following:
- that the ACP is ending,
- the impact on their bill,
- the date of the last bill they will receive that includes the ACP benefit, and
- that they may change their service or opt-out of continuing service after the end of the ACP.

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Are internet companies allowed to send more than three (3) notices to their consumers?

Yes, internet companies are welcome to send additional notices and are strongly encouraged to include additional information on any low-cost internet plans or how to obtain information on low-cost plans.

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What other ways can I expect to learn about the ACP coming to an end?

ACP households will also receive direct notices from the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), the administrator of the ACP. Households can also visit fcc.gov/acp and AffordableConnectivity.gov for more information about the status of the ACP.
Also, from Smart Island and the Government of Puerto Rico.

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What should I do when my ACP benefit ends?

After the ACP ends, you will no longer get the monthly internet discount. Here is what you as a consumer can do now:
Contact your internet company if you have questions about how the end of the ACP will affect your monthly bill and ask about the options available to you.
Visit GetInternet.gov for more information and for further updates regarding your ACP benefit.
Stay tuned to smartisland.pr.gov/acp for updates.

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If you have questions about the ACP completion process, who should you contact besides the internet company?

Consumers should contact USAC directly for inquiries related to the ACP completion process.
They can call the ACP Support Center at 877-384-2575 or visit AccedeaInternet.gov for more information on the program's status.
Consumers can continue to file complaints related to accounts and ACP services through the FCC Consumer Complaint Center at https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov.
Stay tuned to smartisland.pr.gov/acp for updates.

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What other FCC federal programs are available to me to receive a discount on my internet bill?

If you currently receive ACP benefits, you may still qualify for the Lifeline Program to save on internet service. The Lifeline Program is another federal program that makes phone and internet service more affordable. If you qualify for Lifeline, you can get a monthly benefit of:
Up to $9.25 off the cost of phone, internet, or bundled services
Up to $34.25 off the cost of phone, internet or bundled services if you live on qualifying Tribal Lands

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What if I applied for the ACP benefit and am waiting to hear back about my application?

ACP applications will not be processed after February 7, 2024. If you have been asked to provide additional information or documentation, please make sure to do so as soon as possible to allow time for processing so that an eligibility determination can be made and you can sign up with an internet company by February 7, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET. You are strongly encouraged to provide the missing information online at GetInternet.gov to get your documents approved as quickly as possible. ACP applicants are advised that communicating via mail may result in processing delays and may result in missing the enrollment deadline.

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What if the person qualified for the ACP but has not enrolled with an internet company?

If the person has an approved ACP application and has not yet enrolled, contact the preferred internet provider before February 7, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
To check the status of their application, individuals should log into their account on AccedeaInternet.gov or contact the ACP Support Center at 877-384-2575.
It is imperative that individuals apply the ACP discount by enrolling with an internet company as soon as possible—BEFORE the February 7, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET deadline—to ensure receiving the monthly discount on the internet account before the program ends.
If one qualifies for the ACP but does not enroll with an internet company by February 7, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET, they will no longer be able to enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to receive the ACP discount.

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What consumer protections are available to ACP households during wind-down?

Existing ACP consumer protections remain in effect. For more information, please visit https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/manage-mybenefit/protections-rules/.

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What resources will the FCC provide to outreach partners to also help inform consumers about the ACP coming to an end?

The FCC and USAC have provided updated materials for consumers and stakeholders. In addition to this FAQs document, the FCC also has a Fact Sheet that is available in English, Spanish, as well as other languages. These consumer outreach materials are available for download at: www.fcc.gov/acp

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What is the FCC doing to inform the households currently enrolled in the ACP?

The FCC’s priority in this wind-down process is to ensure ACP households are well-informed about the end of the program, its impact on their internet bills, and to help ACP households stay connected after the ACP ends. The FCC will continue its partnerships with national and local representatives and organizations to help educate ACP households about ways to keep their internet services as they navigate from the ACP.

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