Brief Background
Before the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB). This program started in December 2020 to help Americans afford the internet services that became so vital during the COVID-19 pandemic. $3.2 Billion was allocated to these efforts to make high-speed internet more accessible to those in underserved and unserved areas.
In November of 2021, Congress created the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to replace the EBB with a more long-term solution. This change allowed the EBB’s positive impact to continue past the pandemic and push for affordable connectivity across the entire US. With this name change and adjustments came $14.2 billion in additional support for these subsidies.