The Affordable Connectivity Program ended on June 1, 2024, when Congress did not renew its funding, and the roughly 23 million households enrolled lost a monthly internet discount of up to $30 (up to $75 on qualifying Tribal lands). If you are reading this because your bill went up, your practical options now are the Lifeline program, a low-income plan directly from your internet provider, or a state broadband assistance program. No federal successor to the ACP has been enacted.
What Happened to Your Bill
April 2024 was the last month households received the full ACP discount. Some providers offered a partial discount in May if they chose to participate, and after June 1 no further benefits were issued. In practical terms, a household that had been paying $20 after the credit is now paying around $50 for the same service.
FCC rules required providers to get affirmative consent before continuing service at the undiscounted rate. In practice, most subscribers had already agreed to the provider’s regular rates when they first enrolled in the ACP, because that disclosure was built into sign-up. For those households, the transition to the full price happened automatically.1eCFR. 47 CFR 54.1810 – Consumer Protection Requirements
If you did not consent to the higher rate, your service should have been disconnected rather than billed at the new price. You can also downgrade to a cheaper plan or switch providers. Providers cannot charge early termination fees to ACP subscribers who leave because the program ended.
Lifeline Is the Closest Federal Replacement
Lifeline is the federal low-income phone and internet program that is still running, funded through the Universal Service Fund rather than a one-time appropriation. The discount is smaller than the ACP’s: $9.25 per month, or up to $34.25 for households on qualifying Tribal lands.2eCFR. 47 CFR Part 54 Subpart E – Universal Service Support for Low-Income Consumers
Eligibility is narrower than the ACP’s was. Your household income must be at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (the ACP threshold was 200%), or someone in your household must participate in one of these programs:
- Medicaid
- SNAP (food stamps)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance, including Section 8 vouchers
- Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
This is where many former ACP households will fall out. Pell Grants, WIC, and the free and reduced-price school lunch program qualified you for the ACP but do not qualify you for Lifeline. On the other hand, if anyone in the household receives Medicaid or SNAP, the household qualifies regardless of income.3Social Security Administration. SSI Recipients Are Eligible for Discounted Internet Service Through the Lifeline Program
Low-Cost Plans Directly From Providers
Most major internet providers run their own discounted plans for low-income households, generally priced between $10 and $25 per month. These are funded by the companies, not by federal appropriations, so they are not exposed to the same funding cliff that ended the ACP.
Eligibility usually mirrors federal assistance criteria. Participation in SNAP, Medicaid, the school lunch program, or public housing assistance typically qualifies you, and some providers accept prior ACP enrollment as an automatic qualifier. Speeds are lower than premium tiers but generally adequate for video calls, schoolwork, and streaming.
Call your current provider and ask specifically about low-income or affordable internet options. These plans are often not prominently advertised, and a representative may not mention them unless you ask.
State Broadband Assistance
Some states have launched or expanded their own broadband assistance programs to fill the gap left by the ACP, with reduced-price plans typically running $15 to $20 per month. Availability and eligibility vary widely by state. Your state’s broadband office or public utility commission is the right starting point.
Comparing Plans With FCC Broadband Labels
If you are shopping for a new plan, the FCC’s broadband consumer labels are the most reliable way to compare. Every internet provider is required to display one for each plan, online and in stores. The labels show the actual monthly price, introductory rates, data caps, and typical speeds, and they work like a nutrition label on food.4Federal Communications Commission. Broadband Consumer Labels
Because the labels have to be machine-readable, third-party comparison tools can pull the data and put providers side by side. The FCC proposed streamlining some label requirements in November 2025, so specific disclosure rules may change, but the core pricing and speed disclosures remain in effect.
If Your Provider Handled the Transition Badly
The FCC required every participating provider to send at least three written notices to ACP subscribers about the wind-down, including one that specified the exact last month the discount would appear on the bill.5Universal Service Administrative Co. Affordable Connectivity Program Wind-Down Office Hours If your provider skipped those notices, charged you at the higher rate without your consent, or added unexpected fees when the program ended, you can file a complaint with the FCC.
Try the provider first — the FCC expects that. If that does not resolve it, file an informal complaint online at fcc.gov/complaints, by mail to the Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division at 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554, or by phone at 1-888-225-5322. After the FCC serves the complaint on your provider, the provider has 30 days to respond in writing to both you and the FCC.6Federal Communications Commission. Filing an Informal Complaint
Keeping a Device You Got Through the ACP
If you received a laptop, desktop, or tablet through the ACP’s one-time device discount, it is yours. The device benefit was a purchase, not a lease, and the program’s end does not create any obligation to return the hardware.7Federal Communications Commission. Affordable Connectivity Program Consumer FAQ
Is a Replacement Program Coming?
Several bills were introduced in the 118th Congress to extend or replace the ACP, including the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act.8Congress.gov. Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act None passed. As of 2026, no federal successor has been enacted, and there is no active legislation with significant momentum. The FCC’s own ACP page describes the program as having “ended for now,” which leaves the door open to future congressional action but does not amount to a plan. For now, treat Lifeline, provider low-income plans, and state programs as the real options.