At least 1 in 5 American households don’t have home internet service, often because they cannot afford to. The deepest rift in this digital divide is by race: People without broadband access are disproportionately Black, Latinx, Indigenous, rural, or low-income.
We need you to tell Congress that cost cannot be the reason that marginalized communities are shut out of the online world.
The internet is fundamental to our democracy. It is an indispensable forum for civic participation, avenue toward economic inclusion and mechanism of communication.
In 2021, as part of the infrastructure package, Congress created the Affordable Connectivity Program, helping more than 20 million households pay for their internet. This program has enabled some households to connect for the first time, and others, to stay connected without forgoing other necessities like food, electricity and housing.
Without an extension, enrollees will face an increase in their broadband bill in just two weeks, and by the Affordable Connectivity Program is expected to run out of money completely by mid-May. A bi-partisan, bi-cameral bill, the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, would provide $7 billion for the Affordable Connectivity Program to keep the program afloat through 2024.
That’s why we’re calling on Congress to provide additional funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program by enacting the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act.
At the ACLU, we believe that a free and open internet is fundamental to our democracy. Even if you can already afford the internet – a free and open internet is only truly free and open when it is accessible to everyone, so please take action for those who cannot.
Tell Congress: pass the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act to make sure that broadband is accessible to all.