DENVER – Lt. Governor Primavera announced a statewide initiative to increase awareness of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a long-term benefit to help eligible households pay for high-speed internet.
The ACP is a $14.2 billion federal broadband benefit funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that provides eligible households with a monthly discount of up to $30 per month (up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands) and a one-time $100 discount toward a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet. More than 792,000 Colorado households are eligible for the ACP, while only 23% of those eligible have enrolled.
The Colorado ACP Act Now initiative unites a broad coalition of 71 partner cities, community-based organizations and trusted institutions in partnership with EducationSuperHighway (ESH), the national non-profit with a mission to close the broadband affordability gap.
“Reliable internet access is essential for daily life, especially for education, healthcare, connecting with loved ones, and accessing government services,” said Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera. “Our administration is committed to connecting over 99% of Coloradans to affordable, high-speed broadband in the next five years, no matter where you live in our great state.“
EducationSuperHighway will support statewide awareness efforts by training community leaders and partner organizations and providing outreach materials and tools to help households enroll. The non-profit recently launched GetACP.org/Colorado, a virtual mobile assistant that simplifies the ACP enrollment process by providing real-time support to help eligible households determine the easiest way to qualify. The mobile website is available in four languages and helps applicants overcome critical barriers in the enrollment process by helping them identify the documents needed when applying and find "free with ACP" broadband plans available in their area.
"The Affordable Connectivity Program can bring high-speed home internet to millions of unconnected households. Colorado is leading the way in accelerating adoption by ensuring eligible households know about the program, can easily enroll, and then sign up for high-speed internet service," said Evan Marwell, CEO of EducationSuperHighway. "We applaud the Polis-Primavera administration's bold leadership in removing the barriers that keep millions unconnected."
ACP-eligible households include families with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and those who qualify for Lifeline, SNAP, Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch, WIC, and other government-funded programs. The new initiative will leverage state channels to directly promote the ACP to households in these programs and unite local governments, community-based organizations, and trusted institutions to reach unconnected households.