David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House plans to renew efforts in April to persuade Congress to extend an internet subsidy program benefiting 23 million U.S. households just weeks before it runs out of money, officials said.
In October, the White House requested $6 billion to extend the program through December 2024, but Congress did not fund it, potentially putting millions of households at risk of losing internet service.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told lawmakers in a letter that April is the last month that enrollees will receive the full subsidy, followed by partial subsidies in May.
Congress previously appropriated $17 billion to help low-income families and people affected by COVID-19 get broadband access with a $30-a-month voucher that can be used toward internet service.
“We have come too far to end this successful effort to provide internet access to everyone,” Rosenworcel said Tuesday. “Despite the breadth of this support and the urgent need to continue this program to ensure millions of households across the country do not lose essential internet access, no additional funding has been committed yet.”
On February 8, the FCC suspended new user registrations.
The White House says the plan, known as the Affordable Connectivity Program, helps users save more than $500 million a month on their Internet bills.
Verizon (NYSE:), Comcast (NASDAQ:) and AT&T (NYSE:) have called on Congress to extend the program.
Bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Peter Welch, JD (NASDAQ:) Vance, Jacky Rosen and Kevin Cramer would provide $7 billion for the program. A bill to fund the program for one year has been introduced in the House of Representatives and supported by 216 members.
The FCC cited research that if the program were to end, more than three-quarters of households participating in the program “would experience service interruptions or be forced to change their existing plan or stop service altogether.”