In a push to make affordable internet access available to all Americans, President Joe Biden recently visited North Carolina to champion his goal. However, the promise of connectivity for 23 million families across the United States is under threat as a subsidy set to assist those with limited resources in affording internet access is scheduled to expire this spring.

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) currently provides qualifying families with $30 a month in most areas and $75 on tribal lands. However, if Congress fails to extend the program further, it will run out of funding by the end of April. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat who has been working alongside a bipartisan group of governors to promote the program, emphasized the urgency of the situation in a phone interview, stating, "I think this should be a high priority for Congress. To many families, $30 a month is a big deal."

For individuals like Shirleen Alexander of Charlotte, the ACP subsidy has been instrumental in easing financial burdens related to groceries and medical expenses. As a senior citizen on a fixed income, Alexander expressed her concerns, saying, "If they took (ACP) away, it would be like taking food out of my mouth. I need the service, and some of my senior citizen friends need it as well."

The ACP is a crucial component of President Biden's plans to ensure internet access is available to all Americans, which he has consistently highlighted throughout his reelection campaign. Drawing a historical parallel, the President likened the program to the Rural Electrification Administration under the New Deal, which brought electricity to rural America in the 1930s. "Our goal is to connect everyone in America to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet by the year 2030, just like Franklin Roosevelt did a generation ago with electricity," President Biden emphasized during his visit to Raleigh last month.

Despite the program's significance, only 43% of eligible households nationwide have signed up for the ACP subsidy thus far. However, for those who have enrolled, the program has alleviated financial dilemmas and provided access to essential services such as telehealth, remote schooling, and remote work.

If the ACP expires, participating families, including nearly 900,000 in North Carolina alone, will either lose their internet access or face increased costs to stay connected. The state has been one of the leaders in taking advantage of the ACP, with more than 50% of eligible households enrolled.

To sustain the ACP, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has recently proposed a bill that would extend the program through the end of 2024, with an additional $7 billion in funding—$1 billion more than what President Biden originally requested last year. However, there have been no scheduled votes to advance the bill, leaving the program's fate uncertain in a divided Congress.

In the meantime, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken steps to wind down the ACP, instructing internet providers to notify users about the program's anticipated end and announcing a halt to new enrollments after February 7.

Nate Denny, the deputy director for broadband in North Carolina, expressed deep concerns about the program's winding down, particularly as the state is set to receive a substantial $1.5 billion in federal funding. The majority of this funding will be allocated to internet providers to expand internet infrastructure in underserved areas.

As families across the nation anxiously wait for Congress to address the future of the Affordable Connectivity Program, the potential loss of affordable internet access hangs in the balance. The digital divide continues to be a pressing issue, and the fate of millions of families' internet access relies on the decisions made by policymakers in the coming months.