Vt. Broadband Board Warns State's Legislators of ACP's Possible End

Vermont state legislators could need to step in should the affordable connectivity program (ACP) end soon, the Vermont Community Broadband Board said last week. Losing the ACP would “remove the floor for low-income Vermonters, the most vulnerable of our residents, and require considerable alternative funding to achieve digital equity,” the board’s Executive Director Christine Hallquist said in a Thursday letter to Vermont legislators. The ACP helps 25,000 Vermont residents afford internet, the letter said. “When this program ends, many if not all these families may no longer be able to afford their internet service.” Hallquist noted the board supports a bill in Congress from Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., extending funding through the rest of the year (see 2401100056). But Congress hasn’t approved funding and ISPs are sending customers letters about the program’s possible end, Hallquist said. “We are nearing the time when State action may be required to ensure Vermonters do not suffer from the inaction of Congress. Whether this action requires a temporary, or a more permanent fix, remains to be seen.”