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Nearly 653,000 households in Puerto Rico benefit from the Internet Discount Program (ACP), which offers eligible households a discount of up to $30 per month for paying for internet service.
As reported by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Innovation, Information, Data and Technology, Enrique Völckers-Nin, it is estimated that the funds allocated by the federal government for the program will run out by the month of April. “Currently, there are some bills submitted to the federal Congress to allocate funds to the program. On the part of the Government of Puerto Rico, we have outlined several strategies aimed at presenting accurate data about the households that benefit from the program on the island.”
Völckers-Nin added that “soon, we will go to the Federal Capital to meet with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as well as several congressmen to present to them the urgency of Puerto Rico being included in the extension of the program, if it is approved. Certainly, there is an obvious need that makes it necessary for this discount to continue to benefit eligible households.”
Data collected by the Smart Island program shows that, in Puerto Rico, there are some 652,783 households enrolled under the Smart Island program. As of November 2023, a total investment of $386,073,448 had been made. At the moment, there are 66 internet providers in Puerto Rico that offer ACP to their customers.
In 2021, Congress established the creation of the ACP in the bipartisan Infrastructure Law and allocated $14.2 billion to the program. As of January 2024, Congress has not allocated additional funds to maintain the ACP program beyond April 2024. As a result, the FCC has begun taking steps aimed at shutting down the program.
If no additional funds are allocated, February 7 will be the deadline for accepting new applications and registrations. Eligible households must sign up with an internet company before 11:59 p.m. ET on February 7 to receive the discount. As of February 8, 2024, new registrations will not be accepted.
Soon, participating households will begin to receive notifications from their internet providers, with information related to the end of the discount. This information will include dates about the end of the program and the effect that the loss of the discount will have on the account and on the home's internet service.
On the other hand, Volckers-Nin urged Internet providers on the Island to provide specific data that will help in the collection of information that will help to effectively communicate the general impact that the ACP has on Puerto Rico in the different meetings they will hold with the federal government. The data includes:
The assistant secretary reiterated the commitment of the Government of Puerto Rico to include the Island in an extension of the program. “We are working hand in hand with other states, territories and the telecommunications industry to find viable solutions that allow the continuation of this discount for eligible households. We are sending letters to different congressmen and governors who are working in the same direction since a critical sector in Puerto Rico will be affected by the end of the program. If a public hearing of the issue occurs in Washington, we are waiting to participate and to be able to comment on the impact on Puerto Rico.”
The Puerto Rico Broadband (Smart Island) program has been in communication with the FCC and with entities in Washington DC working to support this issue. Letters of support have been signed and letters have been sent to different entities of the Federal Government to make them aware of the impact of the ACP on Puerto Rico. Frequently asked questions and details about this process and the development of the topic will be published on the http://smartisland.pr.gov/acp portal.
