Harrisburg, PA - Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Acting Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh today reminded eligible Pennsylvanians of the opportunity to enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a federal program that helps Pennsylvanians with low incomes pay for broadband service and internet-connected devices necessary to maintain reliable internet access in their homes.
“We rely on internet access for work, school, health care, and more, and having affordable and reliable internet service at home is essential to our everyday lives -- but we know that access to this resource is not universal, which is why the Affordable Connectivity Program is so important,” said Acting Sec. Arkoosh. “The ACP can help to expand broadband access to households across Pennsylvania, so I encourage anyone who may be eligible for this program to apply today.”
“The Affordable Connectivity Program is an important tool to help us close the digital divide in the Commonwealth,” said Brandon Carson, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority. “This grant funding increases awareness of the ACP, which helps eligible, low-income households get the broadband access they need for work, school, healthcare and more. It’s a great program to address the barrier of broadband affordability in Pennsylvania.”
The ACP is administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and local internet providers, helping economically vulnerable families save money by reducing the cost of home internet service. The program provides qualifying households with a discount of up to $30 per month on internet bills as well as a one-time $100 discount towards the purchase of a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers. The ACP is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.
In order to qualify for the ACP, a household must meet at least one of the following:
Participation in one of several federal assistance programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, WIC or SSI:
Pennsylvanians can apply for SNAP and Medicaid through DHS – and thus can become eligible for the ACP – online at www.dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS, via the myCOMPASS PA mobile app, or by calling DHS’ Customer Service Center at 877-395-8930 (or 215-560-7226 for Philadelphia residents).
Recipient of a Pell Grant in the current calendar year;
Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating internet provider’s existing low-income program.
Interested individuals must then complete the following two steps to begin receiving ACP benefits:
Visit AffordableConnectivity.gov to apply or print out and mail in a completed application;
Once an application is approved, individuals must contact their preferred participating internet provider to select a plan and have the discount applied to their bill. Note: some internet providers might also require individuals to complete an application as well.
ACP-participating internet service providers in Pennsylvania can be found here.
More information about the ACP can be found on the DCED website along with a fact sheet about the program.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brandon Cwalina - ra-pwdhspressoffice@pa.gov
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