With federal funding, Colorado works to shore up its affordable internet program – Colorado Newsline

Sustainable Development Goals and the Affordable Connectivity Program

Introduction

Teaching middle school social studies remotely during the coronavirus pandemic was one of the most challenging times of Steven Panchenko’s life. There were times when his bilingual students at Global Village Academy in Northglenn would freeze up on screen and miss five to 10 minutes of class. Others wouldn’t be able to attend at all if someone else in their homes needed to use the internet for work or medical purposes, he said.

The Affordable Connectivity Program

That frustration increased after Panchenko signed off from work and tried to relax. Panchenko, 25, said that his internet connection would lag while he was playing Xbox games. There were other times when he’d try to watch a movie only to end up watching the buffering wheel spin on his screen. To make matters worse, there wasn’t any room in his monthly salary of $1,200 to upgrade his internet service.

But that all started to change when Panchenko learned about the Affordable Connectivity Program, or ACP, a $14.2 billion pandemic-era program that was funded by the 2021 federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and designed to expand internet access to low-income households across the country.

Program Benefits and Eligibility

The ACP provides a monthly discount of up to $30 for internet to eligible households, or up to $75 per month for eligible households on Tribal land, and a one-time discount of up to $100 to buy a laptop, desktop computer or tablet from participating providers. Eligible households include those that receive social benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Tribal members who receive federal benefits, or those who earn up to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines ($60,000 a year for a family of four).

Panchenko said he signed up for the program through Verizon and was able to upgrade his internet package. He started telling his students about the program and noticed that those who signed up for it often performed better in class.

Impact in Colorado

Panchenko is one of a growing number of Coloradans who have turned to the ACP to help pay for monthly internet service at a time when the rising cost of living is forcing many to make tough choices about their monthly expenses.

As of Aug. 28, more than 219,000 eligible households in Colorado had signed up for the ACP, which represents a growth rate of 35% year over year, according to data from the state’s broadband office. The total also means that about 27% of eligible households are using the program, compared to the 20% rate that was recorded at this time last year, according to The Colorado Sun.

National Impact

Overall, the national program has seen results. By mid-August 2023, some 20 million eligible families had enrolled and used the program across all 50 states — with 73% of ACP households seeing moderate to significant improvement in their ability to access the internet and nearly half of respondents to a recent survey seeing improved educational opportunities or achievements.

Challenges and Future Funding

But political uncertainty in Washington is putting the ACP and many other pandemic-era programs at risk. The federal government’s fiscal year ends Sept. 30, which means legislators have until then to agree on another budget deal to pay the government’s bills. Funding for the ACP is scheduled to run out in mid-2024, so even if it survives the next budget fight in Congress, the dance will repeat at least one more time.

Colorado’s Response and Goals

Colorado is set to receive $826.5 million from the infrastructure law’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, or BEAD, program to expand affordable broadband adoption. Officials told Capital & Main that some of this money could go toward creating a state subsidy program if the federal ACP ends, but that transition could be rocky.

“We have one shot at this, we don’t think we’ll ever see broadband funding at this level ever again,” Colorado Broadband Office Executive Director Brandy Reitter told Capital & Main in an email. “If we build broadband networks across the country to support the future of technology but people can’t afford it, it will be a wasted effort.”

Improvements and Concerns

The ACP could use improvement, Ogunlegan added. The FCC is working to create a data-sharing program to make ACP benefits more transferable, she said. Both Schubert and Whittet added that the program’s documentation process should be simplified to make ACP application easier for people who are not digitally literate.

“The digital divide was not new before the pandemic, but the federal government has finally equipped us to really make change,” Ogunlegan said. “And that’s something we need to continue to take advantage of.”

Conclusion

The ACP has made a significant impact on low-income households in Colorado and across the country, providing them with affordable internet access and improving their ability to participate in society. However, the program’s future funding is uncertain, and there are challenges that need to be addressed, such as simplifying the documentation process and ensuring transferability of benefits. It is crucial for states like Colorado to continue working towards digital equity goals and finding sustainable solutions to bridge the digital divide.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. No Poverty

– Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.

– Indicator 1.2.1: Proportion of population living below the national poverty line, by sex and age.

4. Quality Education

– Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.

– Indicator 4.4.1: Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill.

9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

– Target 9.c: Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the internet in least developed countries by 2020.

– Indicator 9.c.1: Proportion of population covered by a mobile network, by technology.

10. Reduced Inequalities

– Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.

– Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex, and persons with disabilities.

17. Partnerships for the Goals

– Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.

– Indicator 17.17.1: Amount of United States dollars committed to public-private and civil society partnerships.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: coloradonewsline.com

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