U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper will join President Joe Biden at the White House this morning for an announcement of private-sector commitments that will lower high-speed internet costs for millions of American families.
President Joe Biden. Photo courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.
Created as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which Hickenlooper helped negotiate and write as a member of the G-22, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) allows almost 50 million American households to reduce their internet service costs by up to $30 per month, and $75 per month on Tribal lands.
“Access to affordable, high-speed internet means access to opportunity. To work, school, telehealth, family, friends, and other basic necessities,” said Hickenlooper. “In the last century, we connected every household to electricity. In this century, thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, we’re going to connect every household to high-speed internet.”
Biden will announce commitments from 20 leading internet providers—covering more than 80 percent of the U.S. population across urban, suburban, and rural areas—to either increase speeds or cut prices, making sure they all offer ACP-eligible households high-speed, high-quality internet plans for no more than $30/month.
ACP is the largest high-speed internet affordability program in the nation’s history. Experts estimate that 48 million households—or nearly 40 percent of households in the country—qualify for the program.
Hickenlooper served on the G-22’s broadband working group in the Senate which helped create the historic ACP.
“Access to high-speed broadband is a necessity of modern life. But access to broadband means little if families can’t afford it,” said U.S.Senator Michael Bennet. “That’s why we created the Affordable Connectivity Program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help low-income families purchase quality broadband. I welcome the partnership from the nation’s leading providers to lower costs and improve service, along with the Biden Administration’s steps to increase enrollment in this essential initiative.”
The announcement will be streamed live HERE. beginning at 11:30 a.m. MST / 1:30 p.m. EST today, May 9.
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