Are you eligible for free internet? Learn about the Affordable Connectivity Program
August 23, 2022
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The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is designed to help you pay for internet service and equipment. This is a long-term program offered by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It replaces the FCC’s temporary Emergency Broadband Benefit introduced in 2021.
Eligible households receive:
- Up to $30 per month toward internet bills
- Eligible households on qualifying tribal lands will receive $75 per month toward internet bills
- A one-time discount of up to $100 to buy a computer or tablet
Both benefits are offered through participating providers. Click here for a complete list in your state.
Who is eligible?
Households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level ($55,500 annually for a family of four) qualify for the ACP.
OR
Regardless of your income, you qualify for the ACP if at least one member of your household meets at least one of the following eligibility requirements:
- Participation in certain government programs, including:
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
- Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
- Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program
- Participation in Tribal assistance programs, including Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Head Start (only households meeting the income qualifying standard), Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF), and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
- Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year
- Eligibility for, or participation in, the Lifeline program
- Lifeline participants receive $9.25 per month off the cost of phone, internet or bundled services. Lifeline benefits can be combined with ACP benefits. To learn more about the Lifeline program, click here.
How to sign up
By visiting GetInternet.gov, you can check on your eligibility and sign up for the ACP. To print an application to fill out and send by mail, click here (English) or here (Spanish). Instructions for these forms are available here (English) and here (Spanish)
When your application is reviewed, you may be asked to provide documentation proving your identity and/or eligibility. For example, if you qualify based on your income, you may be asked to provide pay stubs. If you qualify through participation in a government program, you may be asked to provide a copy of paperwork or statements.
You may also be able to sign up for the ACP through your existing internet service provider. If your provider is on this list, you may reach out to them directly for information on applying.
For more information on the application process, click here or call the ACP Support Center at (877) 384-2575.
How to get free internet
After you are approved for the ACP, you must then sign up for an internet service plan from a participating provider. Plans that cost $30 per month or less are free for ACP participants. The cost of these plans is fully covered by the ACP benefit, at no cost to the consumer.
Visit GetInternet.gov for a list of service providers offering fully covered plans.
If you previously received the Emergency Broadband Benefit of $50 per month, you should automatically receive the new ACP benefit. Your service provider will contact you to let you know if you need to take any steps to continue receiving the ACP benefit.
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