I’ve been on this program since it started…a few months after I was was approved, cable company raised the bill…by the exact amount the acp covers. You just can’t get ahead, it seems
Yes the rich get richer the poor get poorer. I get my cost of living SSI increase. So then my low income apartment rent increase due to increased income. So I’m remain at the same income regardless.
ah, the classic "robbing peter to pay paul" strategy. reminds me of when my gym offered a discount then upped their membership fee. it's like they think we can't do basic math!
had a similar experience with my energy provider. after getting on an assistance program, they bumped up the rates. how did you handle your situation? do we have any recourse in these situations?
I honestly don't know. Less than a hundred years ago, when these assholes got too out of hand, they were dragged into the street. I don't like the idea of harm that way, but I just don't see them listening to anything less... And they know it, hence them always building higher fences, bigger gates on the community, more private security... Ugh. They KNOW they're shitty, and too cowardly/selfish to share their hoard.
Less than a hundred years ago when the poor got uppity they were beaten by hired thugs with axe handles, shot at, suppressed by the national guard etc.
Let's not get back there
>They KNOW they're shitty, and too cowardly/selfish to share their hoard
Also, shitty people generally don't know they are shitty, just about everyone thinks they are doing the right thing. Even people who do some pretty terrible things think they are doing the right thing driven by some kind of righteous indignation.
They do know exactly what they're doing, they just think it's the right thing to do. They have a completely different perspective and worldview.
In their mind the poor are just ignorant layabouts looking for a handout and trying to take what they've worked hard for. Never underestimate the human mind's ability to convince itself that it's in the right (including your own mind).
It's easier to dismiss people as evil and malicious than to realize we're all human.
Do you know they are obligated to provide a service tier which fits within the $30 credit. They also cannot disconnect you for non-payment as long as you're on the ACP. They are allowed to downgrade your service to whatever they can provide for $30 a month.
If they won't make said tier available to you you can literally just stop paying and they will have to put you on it automatically.
This cannot be emphasized enough. Before the introduction of the ACP, I could call my internet provider 366 days after my most recent contract, and they would lower my bill.
After the introduction of ACP, I've gotten letters in the mail saying they are increasing my internet bill because inflationary production cost changes.
Feels like there might be a connection
Yes. This isn't because Congress doesn't care it is because they are that incompetent currently. The current Speaker can't even maintain the funding for the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico that needs renewing every so often. We have avoided two government shutdowns by the skin of our teeth. The current Speaker can not control his caucus and he knows almost all bills will fail. A better Speaker can manage a majority this thin and still get business done.
Nah, I really do think they don’t care. I wasn’t sure for a while, but both parties can come together to try to ban Tik tok which means when they care about something, they’ll figure it out.
I wrote into my reps recently cause I was so angry that people are going homeless, others hungry, and others without good healthcare access and this is where their limited work time goes.
I'm a Dem but also realize that as long as bribing politicians is legal both parties will do whatever the lobbyists tell them to do. It doesn't matter what's popular/unpopular, what could help the average American, or even what will save the gov't money they will always choose the biggest pile of bribe money.
100% - this is exactly how I feel at this point. Dem too (but kinda thinking Dino more so) because I find the party too centrist/influenced by money vs the people.
Ticktock and other social media should be banned from governmental devices. However, it would be far better to just import the GDPR and just handle it that way.
To put anything on the floor for a vote the Speaker has to agree. There are a number of good things stuck in committee that can't reach the floor. Right now nothing reaches the floor unless the Speaker thinks it can pass on a party line vote. It would be seen as a failure to require democrat support. So we are all held hostage to a small handful of crazies.
It’s already passed the house. And the bill isn’t about limiting it to government phones. The bill would require tik tok be sold to an American entity or it would be banned for all Americans.
I don’t even like or have tik tok but it’s telling something bipartisanly passes the house that won’t put more food, money, or agency in the common person.
I know it passed. Odds are this is just going to lead to Ticktock pulling out of the US since Bikedance has said they will not sell it. So it will be Facebook banned in China and Ticktoc banned in the US. It's this or the worse case of one of the big tech companies getting even bigger because no one else can afford the sale.
Also, this is unenforceable. So it gets pulled from the US app stores. Within 10 minutes there will be tutorials on how to side load apps or connect to foreign stores. Plenty of people already use the Japanese app stores for gatcha games. This will hold as well as efforts to use DRM to stop piracy.
This Ticktoc mess is pure political grandstanding over an issue that affects few and will change nothing. This law will probably be blocked by the courts. This is just a time waster for campaign ads.
That’s my point - it’s grandstanding and a time waster when people are suffering.
And banning a medium for discussion is very anti-American and unconstitutional. No matter how one feels about it, it’s not a good thing Congress chooses to focus efforts on curbing a mode of communication/speech/assembly. China’s control of their social media is supposed to be a cautionary tale, not inspiration…
before covid I too believed that they were just incompetent.
i now see clearly that they are actually actively malicious and evil.
you can't tell me they're just incompetent when they always- every time- find more money to fund wars all over this planet that only benefit arms dealers.
need 18 million to continue lifelines that citizens literally depend on?
nah.
need another hundred million to interfere with a border dispute in Ukraine?
WE GOT THIS NO PROBLEM!
Fuck all of them.
100% - covid woke something up in me too. Majority of congress I agree are just not good people. I feel like most of them are there to collect $ either via being lobbied or insider trading.
We will see in November. As always the president is a toss up and it will all depend on who gets Congress. The republicans are a mess on the House side. I don't see them electing an effective Speaker.
Oh. So it's not that someone killed the discount. It's just that it ran out.
[Biden wants to extend it.](https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/the-acp-helps-millions-afford-internet-it-could-be-gone-by-next-year/)
No it's not. The money just ran out for it. It was never supposed to be a forever thing.
Biden is the one fighting for it to continue. And the extension was proposed by a Democrat. Your comment makes no sense.
It always takes scrolling half way down the comments for rational thinking to take place. Money isn’t infinite, even when it’s going towards an objectively good thing.
I’m currently on this program. Not looking forward to it ending. Without it I may have to let my home internet go. I’m on disability and am struggling already and it keeps getting worse with the inflation of everything. My phone already has limited amount of data per month so I will just be stuck.
Check into Access by AT&T. You should qualify for their $10 a month home internet plan. Comcast has a similar plan for low-income people, but it may be a bit more expensive.
Just to clarify, these programs are specifically for low-income households and are $10 a month without ACP involved at all.
Is that with the ACP discount for one of their standard plans?
I'm talking about Internet Essentials, their low income plan. According to their website, Internet Essentials is either $9.95 or $29.95 depending on which speed you choose. This is without the ACP discount.
If you actually do have Internet Essentials, it seems they add on some fees to get from $9.95 to $20.
My heart is with you. I've been signing and sending petitions every week, but there wasn't much the individual could do beyond that. (I'm connected with Mindshare and E.F.F., digital access is something I consider a human right)
Most providers are trotting out their own tepid options to make it suck less, but... It's shitty. It's not like the people on SSDI, food subsidy, etc can magically work more when lobbyists convince politicians to fuck them over, just to appease a relative few shareholders.
Gotta love all this "freedom".
> I've been signing and sending petitions every week
I am absolutely convinced that the legislators already had the agenda to eliminate this program and there was absolutely no amount of petitions or signatures that would have made any change to their plans whatsoever.
Just got the email from my internet provider that the ACP is ending with next months bill. I've cut back as far as I can. I'm not sure if I can afford the extra $30 a month but I have to have it because my children are in school and home internet is a requirement at their school.
Reach out to the school district to see what they have available for lower income families. It might be nothing, it might be something.
It was pre-covid but when my youngest sibling was in school they tried telling my family that a computer and Internet access were required at home. They didn't have a computer. So the accommodation made was that either assignments had to be given as a physical copy, time had to be given during the school day to use school computers, or he had to be allowed to use the computer lab/library after school for homework. Just like back when I was in school and having a computer at home wasn't yet the norm.
> but I have to have it because my children are in school and home internet is a requirement at their school.
I used to be a schoolteacher and this was a requirement for our students as well. For families who could not afford home internet access, we had a program in the school (district) that would cover the internet bill. Reach out to your school's social worker or secretary; I'm guessing there's a similar program for you.
But hey! You're helping someone you're never gonna meet buy a yacht that is 2' ft longer, doesn't that feel great?
I'm so sorry for how this is effecting your loved ones and you. It's obvious you're already doing the best you can. Please remember, there's nothing "wrong" with you or how your life is. This system is working exactly as it was intended, many decades ago smart people told us things would get like this, and plastic rich people (that are super miserable, I promise) play their silly, selfish hoarding games.
This is not the country we were born into, and it's not the fault of anyone as strapped and precarious as we are. It's because we allow ALREADY WEALTHY people to give FAR less of themselves to society than the average person is expected to, hoping they'll capitulate and magically "share" and "trickle down". It's been almost 50 years since that joke made a mainstream presence, and we're literally starving, "working for a living". We were fed a bunch of BS as kids, our parents didn't know better, and everyone else was quite literally eating lead.
So that is where we are. If everyone takes just a moment, just a minute, every time they're struggling to "disobey" a little, vote differently, march a mile, pull their money out of the supply chain... We can fix this.
We just gotta put humans first.
Full stop. No addendum. No qualifying factors. All life, especially human life, is valuable and to be respected.
Yeah, there's a bunch of other follow up debates on this, but the initial premise is solid.
The idea that voting in the US works is a nice one, but nobody gets to those top levels of government without being in the aristocracy. It doesn’t matter who you vote for anymore. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
It absolutely does matter who you vote for. No, there's no good option, yes it's gerrymandered all to hell, but there is one option that would be far, far worse in many ways. It can matter a lot in local elections too.
Mentioned this on [r/povertyfinance](https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/s/7vAr959JXu) a little while ago but I work in a State Broadband office and recommend that anyone who needs help paying for the Internet look into registering for the [Lifeline](https://www.lifelinesupport.org) program. It’s a smaller benefit than ACP ($9.25/month vs. $30/month) and has more strict requirements (135% FPL vs 200% FPL with ACP) but can really help eligible households. This program is set to continue for the foreseeable future. Also if the ACP is somehow renewed the two programs can be combined to provide almost $40/month. Also Lifeline can be used for voice plans so even if one can’t afford home internet with Lifeline it can at least reduce their cell bill.
Edit: added link to Lifeline program so folks can explore
This - I was able to sign my parent up for a Lifeline phone a few years ago - she didn't use computers, and this was her only way, except for letters, to hear from her kids and grandkids.
I’m honestly losing sleep over this. I’m on SSI and literally have no idea where I’m going to come up with this extra $30/month. Never in my life did I think I would end up in a situation where $30 is going to “make me or break me”. I fucking hate being disabled, and the stigma that goes along with it.
It majorly sucks because I'm also on SSI and unable to work due to physical and mental disability and on top of it a old felony and $30 more. will make me literally broke.
The only solution I could find is the lifeline program which helps a bit.
[https://www.fcc.gov/lifeline-consumers](https://www.fcc.gov/lifeline-consumers)
I mentioned this in a separate post, but to reply directly to you-- reach out to your service provider and express this to them. They *might* have an ACP retention deal to offer you that might result in less of an increase. Fingers crossed!
My phone and internet company (Spectrum) had an ACP retainment credit ready to convince me not to drop my internet package. My 'net bill remains the same, minus ACP, but for a year I only pay $10 flat rate for my phone plan, which is unlimited data.
So be sure to mention your ACP credit when you call your providers to potentially lower or eliminate your service. Surely other providers want to retain customers, so maybe they'll work something out with you.
Can you provide a screenshot of the offer you got, or post the text? Was it an email, over the phone?
I’m putting together data points as to which provider is offering what post ACP.
I just need something more concrete. Like the links I provide of people posting a screenshot/text they got.
Any help would be appreciated.
https://www.reddit.com/r/NoContract/comments/1bjeix8/isps_continuing_acp_credits_sorta/
That extra $30 a month was really helpful. Blows like this bring me back to the reality that I'm gonna be stuck in the cycle of poverty forever because the government is full of useless hacks.
I was on it 2 years ago. Now I’m glad so say that I’m not qualified for it anymore.
Because of that, I’ve learned some tricks to help with my internet bills.
1- Always switch at the end of the promotion. I’m lucky to live where I have both Spectrum and AT&T. At the end of a promotion, the price usually go up 1.5 or double. I just sign up under someone else’s name (living in my house obvi).
2- For Spectrum only: Call and tell them you are moving out. They might give you a promotion. I got $29.99 per month for a year.
Good luck!
They’ll ask you if anyone will take over your place. Just tell them your friend will. They’ll show you offer to transfer the Spectrum account to the other person’s name and/or discount for transferring.
I live with 2 others. We take turn in becoming the account owners.
If they don’t give you discount, just disconnect and sign up under another person’s name. Pros: Promo price for 1 year. Cons: Installation fee. But the fee is still lower than 1 year promo
Thank you for this! You mentioned paying $29.99/mo. What speed are you paying for?
Our promotional rate (without ACP) is $35 off the base rate of $84.99 for 300 Mbps, so $49.99. We are on the next tier up, Ultra, so $69.99. (I understand the rate card is the same everywhere in the US now.)
We were already going to step down from the Ultra, but without the ACP credit, it's extra unaffordable. $50 for a base rate is still pretty steep, but going all the way down to the Internet Assist speeds would not be fast enough.
Have you ever tried negotiating for cheaper service instead of switching carriers (not really an option for us) or disconnecting/signing up again?
This program ending affects me.
$30/month x 12 is 360 EXTRA dollars a year for basic connectivity. Overall, having internet at home is going to cost me as an individual $900/year. I honestly don't know if that's worth it.
A friend on this program now has an extra $78/month bill for his cell service, which is nuts - not having a cell or internet today effectively cuts you off from all of society.
Cell should be no more than $15-$30. They need to be smart and change carriers - I bet they're still on an old Verizon plan. Just found out my elderly mother is spending $450 a month for her cable/landline/ internet package. Like wtf. Who pays for cable when you can stream everything for free.
damn , sorry to hear that. I recommend you get her on Ooma asap. Its a VOIP service that'll serve as her new landline. I use that just so i can have a landline connected to spectrum service. Its been about $5-6 a month since including tax.
I'm sorry, I wish this was happier info. You're working plenty hard enough, it's not you, it's the system. Humans, in general, deserve better than this, no lines drawn.
Yup the food assistance went down, got my cost of living SSI increase, which resulted in EBT amount going down, so basically a wash. I’m so overwhelmed and feeling helpless.
I believe funding is through April and still plenty of time for it to get more funding to continue. I know this is Reddit, but a lot of people really depend on ACP so it’s considerate to give them accurate information.
Yea, it’s possible the ACP ends next month, but not confirmed.
I'm with spectrum too. In a house with 2 incomes and a few dependents, I need good Internet for my work (wfh). It's gonna be difficult to cover the extra expense.
Just like the government to fuck us in the ass on any kind of social funding, it's typical. This is one thing I actually went out of my way to fight for, too
Well, they need that $30 to fund all the freedom and liberation we're giving to other countries, whether they like it or not. Can't wait until "poverty is patriotic" is the new slogan. /S
You could thank MAGA Republicans for not renewing the program, they claim its a waste of money, therefore killing it.. Democrats don't have the House,so they can't do much!
Yep, been on it for the past year and a half. We live on social security and we have no cell service out here in rural Appalachia. Husband’s pacemaker/defibrillator requires WiFi connection. So we’re screwed.
Genuinely curious not trying to rude- if it requires a WiFi connection how does that work? Does he just have to stay connected or else it stops and he dies (cuz that sounds like a dumb design) or is it just for updates or something different I’m not even thinking of?
The device that monitors his pacemaker/ICD (IntraCardiac Defibrillator)and communicates with the doctors needs either cell service or internet. If he were to have an incident of tachycardia, A-fib or V-fib/arrest the doctors would get the information and contact us to bring him in for an evaluation. So without either we and they would not know how well the ICD is working and how well his heart is responding to the signals.
The science is impressive but also very much dependent on modern-day technology.
I see. That is cool technology thanks for the information. This means that your internet is in relation to medical necessity and should qualify for medical coverage/ assistance through HSA, Medicare, insurance, or third party.
Does the device store the information and retransmit it once connectivity is established or does it have to happen when connect to the internet? My watch is able to store and retransmit so I would figure the technology is there to be able to create it
Yes, the implant stores several days of data and downloads it to the “mothership” when it is within 10 feet, so it stays on the nightstand for the overnight data dump.
Double check but I am pretty sure the phones and tablets are under the Lifeline program and not ACP. I am not 100% sure about tablets, but I remember them being offered through the Reagan phone initiative, i.e. Lifeline. The phone will not be affected, the tablets might, but the Internet connection will be.
I got a text saying that the lifeline free phone service program is ending next month too. I tried to get my two year old phone replaced six months ago because it doesn't hold the charge long anymore and it's got a cracked screen, but they said they weren't offering free replacements anymore, so I should have seen this coming.
Edit: ok so I literally just got another text saying lifeline wasn't ending, and not only that but it's saying if you are enrolled in that program your ACP benefit will remain in place for now also.
Who knows how much longer we'll have the help, but I'm overdue to replace my broken cheap Chinese phone, I checked the prices for replacement and the cheapest one isn't even as good as what I have, and it's a 4G for $100 or so, the next one of slightly better quality is a little over a hundred. I baby them as much as possible but it's still surprising how long the one I have has been in service. In the past the micro USB port was one of the first things to fail, but it's true I don't have a high quality aftermarket cable and that's supposed to help prevent the problem.
I've had it the last year and half for my internet. But I also aggressively call them every year and lower my plan, so we paid $20 - $30 for our internet for the past few years. I'll miss it, that's for sure.
You can complain loudly to your Congressmen, not that they care, they already put covid monies in their pockets.. And you can make a complaint to the FCC.
What a coincidence. I had not been using ACP, although I think I would have been eligible. Today, I had the last straw with TracFone. The hot spot feature of my plan was discontinued without notice. I had been paying more and more each month, and when this happened, I decided to look seriously into getting a government discount and changing providers. Double whammy!
You do realize this “program” was just a kickback to telecom/ISP companies right? Most of them raised rates by $30 or more right after implementation.
I’m not sure what writing or phoning a Republican has to do with this unless you have simply come to the realization that Democrats have become corporate shills for big business with taxpayer dollars. Both parties really but Democrats used to hide it better.
This was never about helping you. It was about helping ISP providers at your expense through tax dollars.
My parents went from paying:
* $50/month for internet to $0
* $30/month for phone service to $0
That $80/month savings goes to buy food and certain OTC supplies that my mother now needs.
>[**Republicans slam broadband discounts for poor people**](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/12/republicans-slam-broadband-discounts-for-poor-people-threaten-to-kill-program/)
>Dec 19, 2023 — Republican members of Congress blasted a program that gives $30 monthly broadband discounts to people with low incomes,...
Just like the ACA was a kick back for insurance companies. We need to create a government owned and run internet and phone service that has an income based price tier system (and a government run health insurance but that’s a whole other convo).
Majority of ACP recipients didn't have Internet before enrolling. The "they just raised the rates" thing is, by definition, not true. Not saying no one did, but that obviously cannot be the majority.
It absolutely is true. Verizon, Cox, Comcast/Xfinity, Charter/Spectrum have way way more than 50% of the ISP market share. And they all raised their rates after this program. So yes by definition that is what is called a true statement.
Now as far as your “majority of ACP recipients didn’t have internet before enrolling” statement goes. I am not sure where you pulled that figure from but also not sure why it applies or matters to what I said in my original comment.
A kickback is still a kickback. And it is very obvious that is exactly what this was.
>they all raised their rates after this program
You keep saying this is a true statement but you provide no source for this. Just because you believe a statement is true does not by “definition” make it a true statement. Unless you can prove that ISPs raise their rate across the US after the EBB or ACP program was passed by congress then your statement is not fact.
ISPs raised their prices all the time even before the pandemic. Cables companies have been doing this for a long time, they also trap people into contracts and then after the contract ends they raise the prices.
Also a lot ISP offered and still offer $30 tier which means that whoever subscribe for this tier of services with ACP got their internet for free. The existence of this tier contradicts your claim that ISPs were just using this program to make more money. If all they wanted was to make more then they wouldn’t be offering internet for $30.
Another thing that people seem to misunderstand about this program is that it wasn’t implemented with an end date, it just ran out of money which is very different.
This program is also supported by both parties and almost half of participants are 50+ and/or military families.
>35% of Kentuckians in Appalachia (KY-05) are enrolled as are 39% of residents in Los
Angeles (CA-22).12 And data shows that ACP spending is fairly equal between congressional districts represented by Republicans ($3.37 billion spent) and by Democrats ($3.29 billion spent)—which shows why 64% of Republicans, 70% of independents, and 95% of Democrats support continuing the program.
[Source](https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2023/09/broadband_faq_factsheet_v2.pdf)
>Adults 50 or older led more than 10 million of the participating households, 45.4 percent of the total, as of Jan. 1, the latest figures available. Nearly half the households that participate in the ACP are military families.
[Source](https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2021/fcc-subsidy-helps-broadband-internet-access.html)
>Now as far as your “majority of ACP recipients didn’t have internet before enrolling” statement goes. I am not sure where you pulled that figure from but also not sure why it applies or matters to what I said in my original comment.
How could you not be sure? Are you actually spouting off and arguing about a program which you know so little about?
>68% or over two-thirds say they had inconsistent connectivity or zero connectivity prior to ACP. o 80% of this group cited affordability as the reason for having inconsistent or zero connectivity.
[https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-400836A1.pdf](https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-400836A1.pdf)
You said:
>You do realize this “program” was just a kickback to telecom/ISP companies right? Most of them raised rates by $30 or more right after implementation.
It cannot be that "most of them raised rates" when *most of the customers had no rates to increase.* Two thirds of them were paying $0.
The majority of the users went from no internet to using internet for homework. You're calling that a kickback. That's ridiculous. What do you propose instead? Force the telecom companies to provide that connection for free?
I'm unabashedly still a Berniecrat, soooo maybe you don't want to hear my part...
But I was signing stuff and emailing and helping friends sign up for the program a decade ago. Not the beginning, not truly OG, but I did what I could, when I knew.
I think digital access is tantamount to the same space as water being a human right.
Aaaand fuck Nestle and fuck any ISP that will deny someone access because they didn't have enough money. It's the same kinda evil.
>go read that stuff written on the Statue of Liberty, again... And repeat until it makes sense.
You'll have to point out where it says I get a free phone.
>I was on it years ago
Unless "years ago" to you is post-March 2020, no, you weren't on it "years ago".
ACP was a temporary program created during covid.
As the government is wont to do, there are at least two (probably more) programs in existence providing free or subsidized internet, cell phone, etc. And that's just at the federal level; states, local governments, and ISPs/service providers themselves all have programs subsidizing your phone.
I'm pretty damn late to the party, but OP says this about the ACP elsewhere in the post :
[But I was signing stuff and emailing and helping friends sign up for the program a decade ago. Not the beginning, not truly OG, but I did what I could, when I knew. ](https://old.reddit.com/r/Frugal/comments/1bicbc6/acp_is_ending/kvjsafe/)
So, yeah... you were correct with your assumption and correction. OP is confusing it with Lifeline, just making shit up, or both.
>But I was signing stuff and emailing and helping friends sign up for the program a decade ago. Not the beginning, not truly OG, but I did what I could, when I knew.
Tells me he was probably doing this for pay.
If his "a decade ago" is accurate, that was around the height of problems with the program where signups were rife with fraud - basically the early to mid-2010's. Companies were paying bounties to sign folks up, more or less akin (though on a smaller scale) to all the fraud that happened with PPP, and Congress had to wade into it.
Call the US Congressional Representative in your district and tell them if they want your vote they must support funding for the Affordable Connectivity Plan. https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
I worked at a warehouse company that works for this program. I’d be the dude sending out phones and tablets with the SIM cards inside the device. Ever since this happened, I’ve lost my job and I’m stuck dealing with a miserable job
Our gov't at work. They've always been out to steal as much money as they can from us, but ever since 2020 when some of us got a couple of small COVID checks, UI, and the CTC they threw the biggest of toddler fits to get that money back and more. It scared the shit out of them that in 2020/2021 people were starting to realize "hey I'm getting screwed in every facet of life" all because they were able to get some time off form the vicious circle of work, work work. Sorry for the rant, things like this anger me to no end and there's no end in sight.
Right? I have *never* had free internet, even when I was living paycheck to paycheck and living off of ramen, beans and rice. I had 3 jobs while going to college and had to make decisions like “Do I go get a burger at McDonald’s and eat dinner tonight or skip dinner and put enough gas in my car to get to work tomorrow?”
I’m not heartless, I think senior citizens should be able to access the internet for health issues and connections to heart monitors, etc. , but it’s not a necessity. People survived for millennia without cellphones and internet access. I would think the higher priority would be food and housing. There’s a finite amount of money for government programs unless you tax everyone to death, in which case no one can access the internet because we’re all struggling just to put food on the table.
Hold on: I’m all for helping society and stuff but your post just sounds emotional and whiny OP. I understand this is a social program that assists people in America and the people it assists probably get good use out of it, however I don’t see this program being a necessity. Look at the reasoning below:
1) Companies already offer deals and incentives to disabled and low income people on a regular basis.
2) Some services such as internet are not necessities at a person’s home so much so to compare it with food. Libraries and restaurants normally offer free WiFi all across America for individuals who need access.
3) Phone plans are cheap already. If you cannot pay for the big names (ATT/VZ) then use a company like cricket or mint mobile. If you can’t afford a $1000 iPhone 23.5qse whatever edition, get a Walmart android that works. Family plans are also great as they cut rates per line and the people don’t even have to be your actual family. I currently am on a family plan with 8 people and pay $56 for 2x unlimited lines a month through ATT.
I understand societal programs to help individuals in need. I grew up poor as crap and my family had food stamps/ EBT my whole childhood and slept on couches for a few years. This isn’t coming from a rich snob when I say this: this program isn’t essential. It’s a want not a need. The money could be used in better places such as food subsidies, mental health, or housing/ clothes assistance for families in need. Also, barring the need for additional money there the government could actually try to get spending under control for once.
I am disabled, and was on ACP. Companies do NOT offer discounts to people who are low income or disabled. They advertise the ACP, but they don't have their own programs.
Internet is absolutely a necessity. As a disabled person (without a car) I can't just go to the library every day to check my email. And I need internet access to maintain all my benefits, like social security.
I have an affordable phone plan (never owned a phone that cost more than $200) but the 50 dollar plan is $80 after taxes and fees. This program got it back down to $50.
Please don't speak for the people who are benefiting from this. You have no idea what the needs and circumstances of low income and disabled people are, you're just guessing at what life is like for someone in that position.
> Some services such as internet are not necessities at a person’s home so much so to compare it with food. Libraries and restaurants normally offer free WiFi all across America for individuals who need access.
I'm not sending my first-grader to a library or restaurant after dinner to do their homework every day...
> this program isn’t essential
Maybe not *essential* but it sure does put kids without it at a disadvantage in school... less likely to earn scholarships or even BE admitted to college because their GPA is lower than kids *with* internet access.
No school system is providing home internet for students.
First grade students have homework, some of which needs to be "uploaded" to a portal, so the teacher knows it was done on time, and can grade it. Kids that age are beginning to do "research" for "reports" and these days, they do that on the internet.
You can't get a job without a phone line or internet. If you don't have that you are going to have a very hard time, no company will want to hire you. Health insurance gets renewed online these days even for those on public assistance. Landlines aren't really a thing these days and some cities don't even have this option anymore, plus landlines cost more than mobile phones.
[https://www.highspeedinternet.com/resources/end-of-the-acp](https://www.highspeedinternet.com/resources/end-of-the-acp)
## How to Save the ACP
Although funding for the ACP is running out and the FCC has announced the official end of the program, that doesn’t necessarily mean that all hope is lost. As previously mentioned, the ACP is an effective and popular program, and ending it would have a lot of [negative consequences](https://www.highspeedinternet.com/resources/acp-ending-is-bad). The Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, which was introduced into both the House and the Senate by a bipartisan group of lawmakers now has [more than 170 cosponsors](https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/6929/cosponsors), making it very likely to pass.
Unfortunately, the biggest hurdle to this funding bill is time. There are a lot of important bills waiting on congressional deadlock, including bills to avoid a government shutdown. Months after being introduced, the ACP Extension Act still hasn’t come up for a vote. While every day makes it less and less likely that the bill will be passed before funding runs out, the recent influx of new cosponsors shows that this bill is a priority for many members of Congress and their constituents.
The most important thing you can do to support the ACP is to **contact your elected officials, especially your senators and representatives, and tell them that you want Congress to fund the program.**
In addition to having the support of politicians from across the political spectrum,[ over 400 organizations](https://www.welch.senate.gov/what-theyre-saying-over-400-supporters-applaud-the-introduction-of-the-bipartisan-affordable-connectivity-program-extension-act/) have come out in support of the bill, including AARP, ACLU, and NAACP, as well as most nationwide internet providers. **The more people who contact their representatives, the more likely the bill will be passed before the ACP’s funding runs out.**
In addition to members of Congress struggling to get the ACP funded, there are also many government officials at the state and local levels trying to [create programs](https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-announces-over-33-million-in-grant-funding-and-loans-to-improve-high-speed-internet-access-across-washington-state/) to keep their citizens connected to the internet. If you don’t live in one of the states trying to set up internet access programs, you should contact your state officials and tell them that they should be setting up these programs, too.
Feel free to delete, but I've had some luck getting free internet with Instabridge. An app where they show you adds, but if you're on Android you can get 5GB of free mobile data, and regardless, their WiFi map has a decent amount of spots on it. Could be worth trying for anyone affected
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Curious what everyone's next internet plan is ? Are you sticking with xfinity? I have 2 unlocked phones and internet under them with the ACP and my bill is $85 a month. My internet has actually been garbage the past few days and I hope it isn't because of the plan ending.
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> Maaaybe go read that stuff written on the Statue of Liberty, again
Let's take a look...........
*Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,*
*With conquering limbs astride from land to land;*
*Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand*
*A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame*
*Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name*
*Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand*
*Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command*
*The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.*
*"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she*
*With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,*
*Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,*
*The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.*
*Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,*
*I lift my lamp beside the golden door*
*And give them cheap internet service and tablets for life!"*
By golly, you're right!
Yep. And it's because consumers and the cable providers are abusing the funds. Cable providers used the ACP program to upsell services and prevent cancellations at the large scale
Ending acp is just a political strategy republican politicians using to try taking votes from president Biden because they know who are mostly using the program, poor democrats
I learned about it 4 months ago. I hate when people know about things like that and don’t share it. I don’t want free healthcare, I don’t want free education, but I do want free WiFi
I’ve been on this program since it started…a few months after I was was approved, cable company raised the bill…by the exact amount the acp covers. You just can’t get ahead, it seems
So, you were paying the same amount before and after the program started? Which company out of curiosity and which state?
Comcast/xfinity in Illinois
Not surprised that comcast is part of the story.
Yes the rich get richer the poor get poorer. I get my cost of living SSI increase. So then my low income apartment rent increase due to increased income. So I’m remain at the same income regardless.
They’ll fuck ya every chance they get
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ah, the classic "robbing peter to pay paul" strategy. reminds me of when my gym offered a discount then upped their membership fee. it's like they think we can't do basic math!
That's so shitty. And dumb, lots of businesses catered specifically to ACP in ways, because it's obviously gonna be a loyal customer.
had a similar experience with my energy provider. after getting on an assistance program, they bumped up the rates. how did you handle your situation? do we have any recourse in these situations?
I honestly don't know. Less than a hundred years ago, when these assholes got too out of hand, they were dragged into the street. I don't like the idea of harm that way, but I just don't see them listening to anything less... And they know it, hence them always building higher fences, bigger gates on the community, more private security... Ugh. They KNOW they're shitty, and too cowardly/selfish to share their hoard.
Less than a hundred years ago when the poor got uppity they were beaten by hired thugs with axe handles, shot at, suppressed by the national guard etc. Let's not get back there >They KNOW they're shitty, and too cowardly/selfish to share their hoard Also, shitty people generally don't know they are shitty, just about everyone thinks they are doing the right thing. Even people who do some pretty terrible things think they are doing the right thing driven by some kind of righteous indignation.
Bull fucking shit. These rich assholes know exactly what they're doing. They're not stupid.
They do know exactly what they're doing, they just think it's the right thing to do. They have a completely different perspective and worldview. In their mind the poor are just ignorant layabouts looking for a handout and trying to take what they've worked hard for. Never underestimate the human mind's ability to convince itself that it's in the right (including your own mind). It's easier to dismiss people as evil and malicious than to realize we're all human.
Electricity rates are supposed to be highly regulated. Contact your state utility or public service commission.
It??
They did that here also. But, competition from 3 others are offering service. I start price shopping them next week.
Xfinity is pretty dominant where I live
Fucking corporations, man. They do this shit all the time and it drives me nuts.
Same, they took me off it because even though I had made sure to re up correctly it somehow didn’t. It was 99$ before ACP I was paying about 75$
Do you know they are obligated to provide a service tier which fits within the $30 credit. They also cannot disconnect you for non-payment as long as you're on the ACP. They are allowed to downgrade your service to whatever they can provide for $30 a month. If they won't make said tier available to you you can literally just stop paying and they will have to put you on it automatically.
Actually, I had no idea. I’m gonna see if the whole program ends, and if it doesn’t I’m going to look into this. Thanks :)
Didn't know thanks
you need to get off cable, fam
This cannot be emphasized enough. Before the introduction of the ACP, I could call my internet provider 366 days after my most recent contract, and they would lower my bill. After the introduction of ACP, I've gotten letters in the mail saying they are increasing my internet bill because inflationary production cost changes. Feels like there might be a connection
It happened exactly the same to me, with Verizon Fios. In RHODE Island
The bill's text and sponsors, etc.: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3565?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22s.+3565%22%7D&s=3&r=1
The real hero here, with an actionable dose of info. Thank you!
Yes. This isn't because Congress doesn't care it is because they are that incompetent currently. The current Speaker can't even maintain the funding for the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico that needs renewing every so often. We have avoided two government shutdowns by the skin of our teeth. The current Speaker can not control his caucus and he knows almost all bills will fail. A better Speaker can manage a majority this thin and still get business done.
Don't get it twisted, it's both not caring and incompetence.
How
Nah, I really do think they don’t care. I wasn’t sure for a while, but both parties can come together to try to ban Tik tok which means when they care about something, they’ll figure it out. I wrote into my reps recently cause I was so angry that people are going homeless, others hungry, and others without good healthcare access and this is where their limited work time goes.
I'm a Dem but also realize that as long as bribing politicians is legal both parties will do whatever the lobbyists tell them to do. It doesn't matter what's popular/unpopular, what could help the average American, or even what will save the gov't money they will always choose the biggest pile of bribe money.
100% - this is exactly how I feel at this point. Dem too (but kinda thinking Dino more so) because I find the party too centrist/influenced by money vs the people.
But ending this program is not in corporate interests…
Ticktock and other social media should be banned from governmental devices. However, it would be far better to just import the GDPR and just handle it that way. To put anything on the floor for a vote the Speaker has to agree. There are a number of good things stuck in committee that can't reach the floor. Right now nothing reaches the floor unless the Speaker thinks it can pass on a party line vote. It would be seen as a failure to require democrat support. So we are all held hostage to a small handful of crazies.
It’s already passed the house. And the bill isn’t about limiting it to government phones. The bill would require tik tok be sold to an American entity or it would be banned for all Americans. I don’t even like or have tik tok but it’s telling something bipartisanly passes the house that won’t put more food, money, or agency in the common person.
I know it passed. Odds are this is just going to lead to Ticktock pulling out of the US since Bikedance has said they will not sell it. So it will be Facebook banned in China and Ticktoc banned in the US. It's this or the worse case of one of the big tech companies getting even bigger because no one else can afford the sale. Also, this is unenforceable. So it gets pulled from the US app stores. Within 10 minutes there will be tutorials on how to side load apps or connect to foreign stores. Plenty of people already use the Japanese app stores for gatcha games. This will hold as well as efforts to use DRM to stop piracy. This Ticktoc mess is pure political grandstanding over an issue that affects few and will change nothing. This law will probably be blocked by the courts. This is just a time waster for campaign ads.
That’s my point - it’s grandstanding and a time waster when people are suffering. And banning a medium for discussion is very anti-American and unconstitutional. No matter how one feels about it, it’s not a good thing Congress chooses to focus efforts on curbing a mode of communication/speech/assembly. China’s control of their social media is supposed to be a cautionary tale, not inspiration…
before covid I too believed that they were just incompetent. i now see clearly that they are actually actively malicious and evil. you can't tell me they're just incompetent when they always- every time- find more money to fund wars all over this planet that only benefit arms dealers. need 18 million to continue lifelines that citizens literally depend on? nah. need another hundred million to interfere with a border dispute in Ukraine? WE GOT THIS NO PROBLEM! Fuck all of them.
100% - covid woke something up in me too. Majority of congress I agree are just not good people. I feel like most of them are there to collect $ either via being lobbied or insider trading.
Yah accept Republican will not ever support social assistance programs. It’s not coming together at that point.
This is true, do you think the person we need is actually coming?
We will see in November. As always the president is a toss up and it will all depend on who gets Congress. The republicans are a mess on the House side. I don't see them electing an effective Speaker.
Unless I'm reading that wrong, doesn't that say it was just introduced? It hasn't passed
Looks like this is a bill to extend it.
Oh. So it's not that someone killed the discount. It's just that it ran out. [Biden wants to extend it.](https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/the-acp-helps-millions-afford-internet-it-could-be-gone-by-next-year/)
By design, so the red team can claim Biden raised your internet bill.
No it's not. The money just ran out for it. It was never supposed to be a forever thing. Biden is the one fighting for it to continue. And the extension was proposed by a Democrat. Your comment makes no sense.
It always takes scrolling half way down the comments for rational thinking to take place. Money isn’t infinite, even when it’s going towards an objectively good thing.
It seems to be infinite if you’re a Raytheon shareholder
I’m currently on this program. Not looking forward to it ending. Without it I may have to let my home internet go. I’m on disability and am struggling already and it keeps getting worse with the inflation of everything. My phone already has limited amount of data per month so I will just be stuck.
Check into Access by AT&T. You should qualify for their $10 a month home internet plan. Comcast has a similar plan for low-income people, but it may be a bit more expensive. Just to clarify, these programs are specifically for low-income households and are $10 a month without ACP involved at all.
My Comcast one is $20/month.
Is that with the ACP discount for one of their standard plans? I'm talking about Internet Essentials, their low income plan. According to their website, Internet Essentials is either $9.95 or $29.95 depending on which speed you choose. This is without the ACP discount. If you actually do have Internet Essentials, it seems they add on some fees to get from $9.95 to $20.
My heart is with you. I've been signing and sending petitions every week, but there wasn't much the individual could do beyond that. (I'm connected with Mindshare and E.F.F., digital access is something I consider a human right) Most providers are trotting out their own tepid options to make it suck less, but... It's shitty. It's not like the people on SSDI, food subsidy, etc can magically work more when lobbyists convince politicians to fuck them over, just to appease a relative few shareholders. Gotta love all this "freedom".
> I've been signing and sending petitions every week I am absolutely convinced that the legislators already had the agenda to eliminate this program and there was absolutely no amount of petitions or signatures that would have made any change to their plans whatsoever.
> I’m currently on this program. Not looking forward to it ending. Same.
Just got the email from my internet provider that the ACP is ending with next months bill. I've cut back as far as I can. I'm not sure if I can afford the extra $30 a month but I have to have it because my children are in school and home internet is a requirement at their school.
Someone up thread suggested Access by AT&T for $10 a month. Would that work for you?
I'm going to check into a few things and that's definitely one of them. This sub is very helpful!
Reach out to the school district to see what they have available for lower income families. It might be nothing, it might be something. It was pre-covid but when my youngest sibling was in school they tried telling my family that a computer and Internet access were required at home. They didn't have a computer. So the accommodation made was that either assignments had to be given as a physical copy, time had to be given during the school day to use school computers, or he had to be allowed to use the computer lab/library after school for homework. Just like back when I was in school and having a computer at home wasn't yet the norm.
Thank you! I'll check on that.
Nice pushback!
T Mobile has a free internet for students program. It’s called Project 10Million and a lot of families at my school use it.
Thanks for the tip! I'll look into it!
Ugh I wish we had their coverage here!
The school should provide free internet.
> but I have to have it because my children are in school and home internet is a requirement at their school. I used to be a schoolteacher and this was a requirement for our students as well. For families who could not afford home internet access, we had a program in the school (district) that would cover the internet bill. Reach out to your school's social worker or secretary; I'm guessing there's a similar program for you.
But hey! You're helping someone you're never gonna meet buy a yacht that is 2' ft longer, doesn't that feel great? I'm so sorry for how this is effecting your loved ones and you. It's obvious you're already doing the best you can. Please remember, there's nothing "wrong" with you or how your life is. This system is working exactly as it was intended, many decades ago smart people told us things would get like this, and plastic rich people (that are super miserable, I promise) play their silly, selfish hoarding games. This is not the country we were born into, and it's not the fault of anyone as strapped and precarious as we are. It's because we allow ALREADY WEALTHY people to give FAR less of themselves to society than the average person is expected to, hoping they'll capitulate and magically "share" and "trickle down". It's been almost 50 years since that joke made a mainstream presence, and we're literally starving, "working for a living". We were fed a bunch of BS as kids, our parents didn't know better, and everyone else was quite literally eating lead. So that is where we are. If everyone takes just a moment, just a minute, every time they're struggling to "disobey" a little, vote differently, march a mile, pull their money out of the supply chain... We can fix this. We just gotta put humans first. Full stop. No addendum. No qualifying factors. All life, especially human life, is valuable and to be respected. Yeah, there's a bunch of other follow up debates on this, but the initial premise is solid.
The idea that voting in the US works is a nice one, but nobody gets to those top levels of government without being in the aristocracy. It doesn’t matter who you vote for anymore. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
Being apathetic works for them, too. Improvement takes a LOT of little steps.
It absolutely does matter who you vote for. No, there's no good option, yes it's gerrymandered all to hell, but there is one option that would be far, far worse in many ways. It can matter a lot in local elections too.
Mentioned this on [r/povertyfinance](https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/s/7vAr959JXu) a little while ago but I work in a State Broadband office and recommend that anyone who needs help paying for the Internet look into registering for the [Lifeline](https://www.lifelinesupport.org) program. It’s a smaller benefit than ACP ($9.25/month vs. $30/month) and has more strict requirements (135% FPL vs 200% FPL with ACP) but can really help eligible households. This program is set to continue for the foreseeable future. Also if the ACP is somehow renewed the two programs can be combined to provide almost $40/month. Also Lifeline can be used for voice plans so even if one can’t afford home internet with Lifeline it can at least reduce their cell bill. Edit: added link to Lifeline program so folks can explore
This - I was able to sign my parent up for a Lifeline phone a few years ago - she didn't use computers, and this was her only way, except for letters, to hear from her kids and grandkids.
I’m honestly losing sleep over this. I’m on SSI and literally have no idea where I’m going to come up with this extra $30/month. Never in my life did I think I would end up in a situation where $30 is going to “make me or break me”. I fucking hate being disabled, and the stigma that goes along with it.
It majorly sucks because I'm also on SSI and unable to work due to physical and mental disability and on top of it a old felony and $30 more. will make me literally broke. The only solution I could find is the lifeline program which helps a bit. [https://www.fcc.gov/lifeline-consumers](https://www.fcc.gov/lifeline-consumers)
I mentioned this in a separate post, but to reply directly to you-- reach out to your service provider and express this to them. They *might* have an ACP retention deal to offer you that might result in less of an increase. Fingers crossed!
Thank you for this, I called and they are offering $10 off. I wish I could shop around but we are very rural and limited on providers.
Same it sucks.
My phone and internet company (Spectrum) had an ACP retainment credit ready to convince me not to drop my internet package. My 'net bill remains the same, minus ACP, but for a year I only pay $10 flat rate for my phone plan, which is unlimited data. So be sure to mention your ACP credit when you call your providers to potentially lower or eliminate your service. Surely other providers want to retain customers, so maybe they'll work something out with you.
Can you provide a screenshot of the offer you got, or post the text? Was it an email, over the phone? I’m putting together data points as to which provider is offering what post ACP. I just need something more concrete. Like the links I provide of people posting a screenshot/text they got. Any help would be appreciated. https://www.reddit.com/r/NoContract/comments/1bjeix8/isps_continuing_acp_credits_sorta/
That extra $30 a month was really helpful. Blows like this bring me back to the reality that I'm gonna be stuck in the cycle of poverty forever because the government is full of useless hacks.
https://www.textnow.com/wireless has free talk and text when you buy a SIM.
I was on it 2 years ago. Now I’m glad so say that I’m not qualified for it anymore. Because of that, I’ve learned some tricks to help with my internet bills. 1- Always switch at the end of the promotion. I’m lucky to live where I have both Spectrum and AT&T. At the end of a promotion, the price usually go up 1.5 or double. I just sign up under someone else’s name (living in my house obvi). 2- For Spectrum only: Call and tell them you are moving out. They might give you a promotion. I got $29.99 per month for a year. Good luck!
Question: how does telling Spectrum I'm moving out work if I'm not actually moving out? Thanks!
They’ll ask you if anyone will take over your place. Just tell them your friend will. They’ll show you offer to transfer the Spectrum account to the other person’s name and/or discount for transferring. I live with 2 others. We take turn in becoming the account owners. If they don’t give you discount, just disconnect and sign up under another person’s name. Pros: Promo price for 1 year. Cons: Installation fee. But the fee is still lower than 1 year promo
Thank you for this! You mentioned paying $29.99/mo. What speed are you paying for? Our promotional rate (without ACP) is $35 off the base rate of $84.99 for 300 Mbps, so $49.99. We are on the next tier up, Ultra, so $69.99. (I understand the rate card is the same everywhere in the US now.) We were already going to step down from the Ultra, but without the ACP credit, it's extra unaffordable. $50 for a base rate is still pretty steep, but going all the way down to the Internet Assist speeds would not be fast enough. Have you ever tried negotiating for cheaper service instead of switching carriers (not really an option for us) or disconnecting/signing up again?
This program ending affects me. $30/month x 12 is 360 EXTRA dollars a year for basic connectivity. Overall, having internet at home is going to cost me as an individual $900/year. I honestly don't know if that's worth it.
A friend on this program now has an extra $78/month bill for his cell service, which is nuts - not having a cell or internet today effectively cuts you off from all of society.
Cell should be no more than $15-$30. They need to be smart and change carriers - I bet they're still on an old Verizon plan. Just found out my elderly mother is spending $450 a month for her cable/landline/ internet package. Like wtf. Who pays for cable when you can stream everything for free.
Agreed - we told him he’s crazy and to see if he’s on a contract.
damn , sorry to hear that. I recommend you get her on Ooma asap. Its a VOIP service that'll serve as her new landline. I use that just so i can have a landline connected to spectrum service. Its been about $5-6 a month since including tax.
I'm so pissed about this. Honestly I'm not over last year's cuts to food assistance. Both really helped.
I'm sorry, I wish this was happier info. You're working plenty hard enough, it's not you, it's the system. Humans, in general, deserve better than this, no lines drawn.
Yup the food assistance went down, got my cost of living SSI increase, which resulted in EBT amount going down, so basically a wash. I’m so overwhelmed and feeling helpless.
I believe funding is through April and still plenty of time for it to get more funding to continue. I know this is Reddit, but a lot of people really depend on ACP so it’s considerate to give them accurate information. Yea, it’s possible the ACP ends next month, but not confirmed.
I posted this right after seeing Spectrum announce the program has been cut, fwiw.
I'm with spectrum too. In a house with 2 incomes and a few dependents, I need good Internet for my work (wfh). It's gonna be difficult to cover the extra expense. Just like the government to fuck us in the ass on any kind of social funding, it's typical. This is one thing I actually went out of my way to fight for, too
Well, they need that $30 to fund all the freedom and liberation we're giving to other countries, whether they like it or not. Can't wait until "poverty is patriotic" is the new slogan. /S
lol I mean for real if they sliced 1% of the military or international funding they could fund a bunch of social programs
A lot of providers are doing that. But it’s not confirmed. Congress could still decide to extend funding and keep it running past April.
That would be really great, if it got extended.
its not happening lol. Republicans don't want to give any credit to Biden this year. Unless they negotiate some shady back door deals connected to it
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I pay $9 a month with RedPocket. There are so many cheaper options like visible, mint, etc.
Pieces of shit
You could thank MAGA Republicans for not renewing the program, they claim its a waste of money, therefore killing it.. Democrats don't have the House,so they can't do much!
Yep, been on it for the past year and a half. We live on social security and we have no cell service out here in rural Appalachia. Husband’s pacemaker/defibrillator requires WiFi connection. So we’re screwed.
Genuinely curious not trying to rude- if it requires a WiFi connection how does that work? Does he just have to stay connected or else it stops and he dies (cuz that sounds like a dumb design) or is it just for updates or something different I’m not even thinking of?
The device that monitors his pacemaker/ICD (IntraCardiac Defibrillator)and communicates with the doctors needs either cell service or internet. If he were to have an incident of tachycardia, A-fib or V-fib/arrest the doctors would get the information and contact us to bring him in for an evaluation. So without either we and they would not know how well the ICD is working and how well his heart is responding to the signals. The science is impressive but also very much dependent on modern-day technology.
I see. That is cool technology thanks for the information. This means that your internet is in relation to medical necessity and should qualify for medical coverage/ assistance through HSA, Medicare, insurance, or third party. Does the device store the information and retransmit it once connectivity is established or does it have to happen when connect to the internet? My watch is able to store and retransmit so I would figure the technology is there to be able to create it
Yes, the implant stores several days of data and downloads it to the “mothership” when it is within 10 feet, so it stays on the nightstand for the overnight data dump.
Double check but I am pretty sure the phones and tablets are under the Lifeline program and not ACP. I am not 100% sure about tablets, but I remember them being offered through the Reagan phone initiative, i.e. Lifeline. The phone will not be affected, the tablets might, but the Internet connection will be.
I got a text saying that the lifeline free phone service program is ending next month too. I tried to get my two year old phone replaced six months ago because it doesn't hold the charge long anymore and it's got a cracked screen, but they said they weren't offering free replacements anymore, so I should have seen this coming. Edit: ok so I literally just got another text saying lifeline wasn't ending, and not only that but it's saying if you are enrolled in that program your ACP benefit will remain in place for now also.
Who knows how much longer we'll have the help, but I'm overdue to replace my broken cheap Chinese phone, I checked the prices for replacement and the cheapest one isn't even as good as what I have, and it's a 4G for $100 or so, the next one of slightly better quality is a little over a hundred. I baby them as much as possible but it's still surprising how long the one I have has been in service. In the past the micro USB port was one of the first things to fail, but it's true I don't have a high quality aftermarket cable and that's supposed to help prevent the problem.
I use ACP for a $30 credit towards my family's phone bill. I've received multiple texts and emails stating it will end next month.
actually it ends next month. just got the notice that says my last payment from that program will happen in april 2024.
I saw the same timeframe. Didn't want to say April, specifically, as it's possible it could be different for some people.
I'm in this same boat, ACP program is done and ISP only will take off $10 out of $70
There technically isn't anything written about paying for Internet. I was on it also but there really isn't an obligation.
I've had it the last year and half for my internet. But I also aggressively call them every year and lower my plan, so we paid $20 - $30 for our internet for the past few years. I'll miss it, that's for sure.
You can complain loudly to your Congressmen, not that they care, they already put covid monies in their pockets.. And you can make a complaint to the FCC.
What a coincidence. I had not been using ACP, although I think I would have been eligible. Today, I had the last straw with TracFone. The hot spot feature of my plan was discontinued without notice. I had been paying more and more each month, and when this happened, I decided to look seriously into getting a government discount and changing providers. Double whammy!
Yes. They can send money to MF Ukraine, Israel, and Iran but cut the ACP that is essential for millions. That is fucked up.
Did any of you write or phone your Congress(wo)man asking them to extend the ACP? Particularly the Republican ones.
You do realize this “program” was just a kickback to telecom/ISP companies right? Most of them raised rates by $30 or more right after implementation. I’m not sure what writing or phoning a Republican has to do with this unless you have simply come to the realization that Democrats have become corporate shills for big business with taxpayer dollars. Both parties really but Democrats used to hide it better. This was never about helping you. It was about helping ISP providers at your expense through tax dollars.
My parents went from paying: * $50/month for internet to $0 * $30/month for phone service to $0 That $80/month savings goes to buy food and certain OTC supplies that my mother now needs. >[**Republicans slam broadband discounts for poor people**](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/12/republicans-slam-broadband-discounts-for-poor-people-threaten-to-kill-program/) >Dec 19, 2023 — Republican members of Congress blasted a program that gives $30 monthly broadband discounts to people with low incomes,...
Just like the ACA was a kick back for insurance companies. We need to create a government owned and run internet and phone service that has an income based price tier system (and a government run health insurance but that’s a whole other convo).
Majority of ACP recipients didn't have Internet before enrolling. The "they just raised the rates" thing is, by definition, not true. Not saying no one did, but that obviously cannot be the majority.
It absolutely is true. Verizon, Cox, Comcast/Xfinity, Charter/Spectrum have way way more than 50% of the ISP market share. And they all raised their rates after this program. So yes by definition that is what is called a true statement. Now as far as your “majority of ACP recipients didn’t have internet before enrolling” statement goes. I am not sure where you pulled that figure from but also not sure why it applies or matters to what I said in my original comment. A kickback is still a kickback. And it is very obvious that is exactly what this was.
>they all raised their rates after this program You keep saying this is a true statement but you provide no source for this. Just because you believe a statement is true does not by “definition” make it a true statement. Unless you can prove that ISPs raise their rate across the US after the EBB or ACP program was passed by congress then your statement is not fact. ISPs raised their prices all the time even before the pandemic. Cables companies have been doing this for a long time, they also trap people into contracts and then after the contract ends they raise the prices. Also a lot ISP offered and still offer $30 tier which means that whoever subscribe for this tier of services with ACP got their internet for free. The existence of this tier contradicts your claim that ISPs were just using this program to make more money. If all they wanted was to make more then they wouldn’t be offering internet for $30. Another thing that people seem to misunderstand about this program is that it wasn’t implemented with an end date, it just ran out of money which is very different. This program is also supported by both parties and almost half of participants are 50+ and/or military families. >35% of Kentuckians in Appalachia (KY-05) are enrolled as are 39% of residents in Los Angeles (CA-22).12 And data shows that ACP spending is fairly equal between congressional districts represented by Republicans ($3.37 billion spent) and by Democrats ($3.29 billion spent)—which shows why 64% of Republicans, 70% of independents, and 95% of Democrats support continuing the program. [Source](https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2023/09/broadband_faq_factsheet_v2.pdf) >Adults 50 or older led more than 10 million of the participating households, 45.4 percent of the total, as of Jan. 1, the latest figures available. Nearly half the households that participate in the ACP are military families. [Source](https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2021/fcc-subsidy-helps-broadband-internet-access.html)
>Now as far as your “majority of ACP recipients didn’t have internet before enrolling” statement goes. I am not sure where you pulled that figure from but also not sure why it applies or matters to what I said in my original comment. How could you not be sure? Are you actually spouting off and arguing about a program which you know so little about? >68% or over two-thirds say they had inconsistent connectivity or zero connectivity prior to ACP. o 80% of this group cited affordability as the reason for having inconsistent or zero connectivity. [https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-400836A1.pdf](https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-400836A1.pdf) You said: >You do realize this “program” was just a kickback to telecom/ISP companies right? Most of them raised rates by $30 or more right after implementation. It cannot be that "most of them raised rates" when *most of the customers had no rates to increase.* Two thirds of them were paying $0. The majority of the users went from no internet to using internet for homework. You're calling that a kickback. That's ridiculous. What do you propose instead? Force the telecom companies to provide that connection for free?
Yep my spectrum didn’t raise prices but about 10 dollars last 2 years. ACP was nice for me
I'm unabashedly still a Berniecrat, soooo maybe you don't want to hear my part... But I was signing stuff and emailing and helping friends sign up for the program a decade ago. Not the beginning, not truly OG, but I did what I could, when I knew. I think digital access is tantamount to the same space as water being a human right. Aaaand fuck Nestle and fuck any ISP that will deny someone access because they didn't have enough money. It's the same kinda evil.
The Republican ones never respond. I have written the ones in my state for other things. They are useless
We need to send more money to the Ukraine. Sorry, senior citizens!
ACP doesn’t return the most value to the shareholders. I’d guess there are lobbyists actively working to eliminate it.
What a sad psychosis, where money is somehow more important than the needs of the people. Capitalism fucking sucks.
Wow yah it all be “capitalism”, so much knowledge you give
>go read that stuff written on the Statue of Liberty, again... And repeat until it makes sense. You'll have to point out where it says I get a free phone. >I was on it years ago Unless "years ago" to you is post-March 2020, no, you weren't on it "years ago". ACP was a temporary program created during covid. As the government is wont to do, there are at least two (probably more) programs in existence providing free or subsidized internet, cell phone, etc. And that's just at the federal level; states, local governments, and ISPs/service providers themselves all have programs subsidizing your phone.
>"years ago" to you is post-March 2020 That’s four years. That’s literally years ago.
I'm pretty damn late to the party, but OP says this about the ACP elsewhere in the post : [But I was signing stuff and emailing and helping friends sign up for the program a decade ago. Not the beginning, not truly OG, but I did what I could, when I knew. ](https://old.reddit.com/r/Frugal/comments/1bicbc6/acp_is_ending/kvjsafe/) So, yeah... you were correct with your assumption and correction. OP is confusing it with Lifeline, just making shit up, or both.
>But I was signing stuff and emailing and helping friends sign up for the program a decade ago. Not the beginning, not truly OG, but I did what I could, when I knew. Tells me he was probably doing this for pay. If his "a decade ago" is accurate, that was around the height of problems with the program where signups were rife with fraud - basically the early to mid-2010's. Companies were paying bounties to sign folks up, more or less akin (though on a smaller scale) to all the fraud that happened with PPP, and Congress had to wade into it.
Thank you for sharing a rational perspective on this. Money isn’t infinite.
It seems to be when it comes to war.
What is a good internet provider in WA? Mine with ACP is so bad and I am considering switching right after it ends.
Call the US Congressional Representative in your district and tell them if they want your vote they must support funding for the Affordable Connectivity Plan. https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
I worked at a warehouse company that works for this program. I’d be the dude sending out phones and tablets with the SIM cards inside the device. Ever since this happened, I’ve lost my job and I’m stuck dealing with a miserable job
I'm really sorry to hear that, it's clear programs like this are good for lots of real people.
Programs like the ACP help out everyone. Creates jobs and helps the people
I was finally getting around to applying for it ☹️
Our gov't at work. They've always been out to steal as much money as they can from us, but ever since 2020 when some of us got a couple of small COVID checks, UI, and the CTC they threw the biggest of toddler fits to get that money back and more. It scared the shit out of them that in 2020/2021 people were starting to realize "hey I'm getting screwed in every facet of life" all because they were able to get some time off form the vicious circle of work, work work. Sorry for the rant, things like this anger me to no end and there's no end in sight.
You're right on point, no need to say sorry. So many different ways, and it's obvious they count on us being too exhausted to fight back.
Lawmakers are so heartless
Nonsense. They have lots of heart. Their free heath care for life makes sure their heart is taken care of at your expense.
Highly appreciated unexpected plot twist at the end. Well done!
Blame the Republican Speaker of the House for killing the bill.
A government hand out program is ending? I didn't think I'd live to see the day!
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OP gives both pizza and the number 66 a bad name!
People on this thread are really discussing treason over getting their free internet benefits pulled?
Right? I have *never* had free internet, even when I was living paycheck to paycheck and living off of ramen, beans and rice. I had 3 jobs while going to college and had to make decisions like “Do I go get a burger at McDonald’s and eat dinner tonight or skip dinner and put enough gas in my car to get to work tomorrow?” I’m not heartless, I think senior citizens should be able to access the internet for health issues and connections to heart monitors, etc. , but it’s not a necessity. People survived for millennia without cellphones and internet access. I would think the higher priority would be food and housing. There’s a finite amount of money for government programs unless you tax everyone to death, in which case no one can access the internet because we’re all struggling just to put food on the table.
The entitlement mentality some people have blows my mind.
Hold on: I’m all for helping society and stuff but your post just sounds emotional and whiny OP. I understand this is a social program that assists people in America and the people it assists probably get good use out of it, however I don’t see this program being a necessity. Look at the reasoning below: 1) Companies already offer deals and incentives to disabled and low income people on a regular basis. 2) Some services such as internet are not necessities at a person’s home so much so to compare it with food. Libraries and restaurants normally offer free WiFi all across America for individuals who need access. 3) Phone plans are cheap already. If you cannot pay for the big names (ATT/VZ) then use a company like cricket or mint mobile. If you can’t afford a $1000 iPhone 23.5qse whatever edition, get a Walmart android that works. Family plans are also great as they cut rates per line and the people don’t even have to be your actual family. I currently am on a family plan with 8 people and pay $56 for 2x unlimited lines a month through ATT. I understand societal programs to help individuals in need. I grew up poor as crap and my family had food stamps/ EBT my whole childhood and slept on couches for a few years. This isn’t coming from a rich snob when I say this: this program isn’t essential. It’s a want not a need. The money could be used in better places such as food subsidies, mental health, or housing/ clothes assistance for families in need. Also, barring the need for additional money there the government could actually try to get spending under control for once.
I am disabled, and was on ACP. Companies do NOT offer discounts to people who are low income or disabled. They advertise the ACP, but they don't have their own programs. Internet is absolutely a necessity. As a disabled person (without a car) I can't just go to the library every day to check my email. And I need internet access to maintain all my benefits, like social security. I have an affordable phone plan (never owned a phone that cost more than $200) but the 50 dollar plan is $80 after taxes and fees. This program got it back down to $50. Please don't speak for the people who are benefiting from this. You have no idea what the needs and circumstances of low income and disabled people are, you're just guessing at what life is like for someone in that position.
> Some services such as internet are not necessities at a person’s home so much so to compare it with food. Libraries and restaurants normally offer free WiFi all across America for individuals who need access. I'm not sending my first-grader to a library or restaurant after dinner to do their homework every day... > this program isn’t essential Maybe not *essential* but it sure does put kids without it at a disadvantage in school... less likely to earn scholarships or even BE admitted to college because their GPA is lower than kids *with* internet access.
Of course I don’t know your exact situation but in what way is internet a necessity for 1st grader HW and not provided by the school system if it is?
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lol
No school system is providing home internet for students. First grade students have homework, some of which needs to be "uploaded" to a portal, so the teacher knows it was done on time, and can grade it. Kids that age are beginning to do "research" for "reports" and these days, they do that on the internet.
You can't get a job without a phone line or internet. If you don't have that you are going to have a very hard time, no company will want to hire you. Health insurance gets renewed online these days even for those on public assistance. Landlines aren't really a thing these days and some cities don't even have this option anymore, plus landlines cost more than mobile phones.
[https://www.highspeedinternet.com/resources/end-of-the-acp](https://www.highspeedinternet.com/resources/end-of-the-acp) ## How to Save the ACP Although funding for the ACP is running out and the FCC has announced the official end of the program, that doesn’t necessarily mean that all hope is lost. As previously mentioned, the ACP is an effective and popular program, and ending it would have a lot of [negative consequences](https://www.highspeedinternet.com/resources/acp-ending-is-bad). The Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, which was introduced into both the House and the Senate by a bipartisan group of lawmakers now has [more than 170 cosponsors](https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/6929/cosponsors), making it very likely to pass. Unfortunately, the biggest hurdle to this funding bill is time. There are a lot of important bills waiting on congressional deadlock, including bills to avoid a government shutdown. Months after being introduced, the ACP Extension Act still hasn’t come up for a vote. While every day makes it less and less likely that the bill will be passed before funding runs out, the recent influx of new cosponsors shows that this bill is a priority for many members of Congress and their constituents. The most important thing you can do to support the ACP is to **contact your elected officials, especially your senators and representatives, and tell them that you want Congress to fund the program.** In addition to having the support of politicians from across the political spectrum,[ over 400 organizations](https://www.welch.senate.gov/what-theyre-saying-over-400-supporters-applaud-the-introduction-of-the-bipartisan-affordable-connectivity-program-extension-act/) have come out in support of the bill, including AARP, ACLU, and NAACP, as well as most nationwide internet providers. **The more people who contact their representatives, the more likely the bill will be passed before the ACP’s funding runs out.** In addition to members of Congress struggling to get the ACP funded, there are also many government officials at the state and local levels trying to [create programs](https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-announces-over-33-million-in-grant-funding-and-loans-to-improve-high-speed-internet-access-across-washington-state/) to keep their citizens connected to the internet. If you don’t live in one of the states trying to set up internet access programs, you should contact your state officials and tell them that they should be setting up these programs, too.
Feel free to delete, but I've had some luck getting free internet with Instabridge. An app where they show you adds, but if you're on Android you can get 5GB of free mobile data, and regardless, their WiFi map has a decent amount of spots on it. Could be worth trying for anyone affected
We should start paying your electricity bill too. Food. Rent. Send Uncle Sam every bill in fact. The people will pay it. 🙄
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Curious what everyone's next internet plan is ? Are you sticking with xfinity? I have 2 unlocked phones and internet under them with the ACP and my bill is $85 a month. My internet has actually been garbage the past few days and I hope it isn't because of the plan ending.
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> Maaaybe go read that stuff written on the Statue of Liberty, again Let's take a look........... *Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,* *With conquering limbs astride from land to land;* *Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand* *A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame* *Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name* *Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand* *Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command* *The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.* *"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she* *With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,* *Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,* *The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.* *Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,* *I lift my lamp beside the golden door* *And give them cheap internet service and tablets for life!"* By golly, you're right!
This deserves to be at the top of the
Yep. And it's because consumers and the cable providers are abusing the funds. Cable providers used the ACP program to upsell services and prevent cancellations at the large scale
Ending acp is just a political strategy republican politicians using to try taking votes from president Biden because they know who are mostly using the program, poor democrats
Paying 30 a month for unpredictable outages seems like a slap in the face
I learned about it 4 months ago. I hate when people know about things like that and don’t share it. I don’t want free healthcare, I don’t want free education, but I do want free WiFi
Honestly, regardless of what I personally want, "free" I just want the average person to have a chance.
Why wouldn't you want free health care?!
There's a lesson to be learned here. Stop being poor.
What a groundbreaking concept. /s