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The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry is urging Senators Kyrsten Sinema (I) and Mark Kelly (D) to back the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, a bill to ensure funding for a program that helps households afford essential broadband services for work, education, and healthcare. 

Under ACP, eligible households can receive a discount of up to $30 monthly for internet services, with a higher subsidy of up to $75 per month for those residing in qualifying Tribal lands. 

Additionally, eligible households may obtain a one-time discount of up to $100 for purchasing a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers, provided they contribute between $10 and $50 towards the purchase price.

The funding for the ACP is set to end this April, potentially jeopardizing the online access of millions of Americans. Advocates argue that the bipartisan bill acts as a vital interim solution, ensuring stability for ACP recipients and internet providers as Congress endeavors to secure long-term authorization and adequate funding for the program.

With funding in doubt, the FCC in January that it鈥檚 taking steps to wind down the program.

鈥淚n Arizona today, 506,401 households are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program and every Congressional District in Arizona has benefitted from the program,鈥� the Arizona Chamber wrote in a letter to Sinema and Kelly. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 about 1 in 5 households in the state. Arizona has received $277,106,023 in funding from the Affordable Connectivity Program. That means Arizona families are saving about $15.3 million total each month.鈥�

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also the bill, noting that more than 22.5 million American households have enrolled in the program, which has a significant positive impact on seniors, veterans, and both rural and urban communities.

Affordable Connectivity Program enrollment by Arizona congressional district