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FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel told lawmakers in a letter that
April is the last month participants will get the full subsidy,
with partial subsidies expected in May. Congress previously
allocated $17 billion to help lower-income families and people
impacted by COVID-19 gain internet access through a $30 per
month voucher to use toward internet service.
"I believe we have come too far with the program to turn back
and lose the gains we have made connecting so many households
across the country," Rosenworcel said Monday.
The FCC froze enrollment on Feb. 8 for new users.
The White House in October asked for $6 billion to extend the
program through December 2024 but Congress has not acted. The
FCC says there is insufficient funding to support government
subsidies beyond April.
The White House says the program known as the Affordable
Connectivity Program, helps current users save over $500 million
per month on their internet bills. Verizon, Comcast and AT&T,
have all called for Congress to extend the program.
Bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Peter Welch, JD
Vance, Jacky Rosen and Kevin Cramer would provide $7 billion for
the program and similar legislation has been introduced in the
House.
The FCC cited a survey that if the program ends more than
three-quarters of the households in the program "would
experience service disruption or would have to change their
existing plan or stop service altogether."
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler and
Aurora Ellis)
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