Internet Bills In FL Could Spike After Federal Program Ends

FLORIDA — Over one million Florida residents, one in five households, could see their internet bills spike this month after a federal program that provided discounts to low-income households came to an end.

April was the last fully funded month of the Affordable Connectivity Program, a federal initiative created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021. The program provided a monthly discount on internet bills of up to $30 for eligible households and up to $75 for households on Native American tribal lands.

As of February, 1.7 million Florida households relied on the program to pay for high-speed internet service, according to data from the Universal Service Administrative Co., an independent nonprofit organization overseen by the Federal Communications Commission.

Nationwide, more than 23 million households were enrolled in the program.

The program ended due to a lack of additional funding from Congress, according to the FCC.

"(Households) have contacted the agency to express concern about the impending end of the program, noting its impact on older adults, families with school children, and military families at risk of losing their internet service without the ACP benefit," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a letter to Congress. "They worry that without ACP support they will lose access to employment, education, healthcare, and more."

Florida received about $7.4 million in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act "to plan for the deployment and adoption of affordable, equitable, and reliable, high-speed Internet service throughout the state," according to a Broadband USA report.

In February 2024, Gov. Ron DeSantis authorized nearly $223 million to expand broadband internet access statewide, including small and rural communities. This funding includes $135 million in state funding through the federal Broadband Opportunity Program and $86 million in federal funds through the Multipurpose Community Facilities Program.

According to DeSantis' office, awards through the Broadband Opportunity Program will support 54 projects in 33 Florida counties for broadband internet expansion. Awards through the Multipurpose Facility Program will support 29 community infrastructure projects including health clinics, schools and workforce development programs providing internet to Floridians across 18 counties.

“Connecting Florida’s small and rural communities to broadband internet will help them find jobs, access education resources and expand their businesses,” DeSantis said in a statement. “We will continue to make investments in broadband internet that support long-term growth for our communities, without federally imposed strings attached.”

Experts worry that the end of the ACP could hamper efforts by state officials to ensure residents can afford high-speed internet.

"If we want to achieve a world where everyone has internet service, we need a program like the ACP," Drew Garner, director of policy engagement at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, told Spotlight PA. "Affordability is the main thing keeping people offline, and that’s especially true in rural areas where a lot of this infrastructure money is targeted."

Earlier this year, a bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed a bill to sustain the ACP through the end of 2024 with an additional $7 billion in funding, $1 billion more than what President Joe Biden asked Congress to appropriate for the program at the end of last year, The Associated Press reported.

Despite the proposed bill, no votes on the legislation have been scheduled.

Officials have urged households to research other assistance programs available to help with internet costs, including the Lifeline program, which provides consumers up to $9.25 off phone or internet service.

More information on the end of the program and how it affects Maryland households is available online at fcc.gov/ACP and AffordableConnectivity.gov.