The Divide: Benton's John Horrigan on the costs of ACP's endThe Divide: Benton's John Horrigan on the costs of ACP's end

This week: John Horrigan, senior fellow at Benton, joins to discuss new data showing billions in lost savings for consumers and the economy due to the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

Nicole Ferraro, Editor, host of 'The Divide' podcast

July 29, 2024

At a Glance

  • Background on the study, who was surveyed and why (02:52)
  • Number of respondents that said they will have to cancel service without the ACP subsidy (04:58)
  • What the survey gleaned about affordability challenges for ACP homes, and the ideal amount for a future subsidy (09:44)

This episode features John Horrigan, senior fellow at the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society. We discussed a new report released from Benton assessing the impact of the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) on low-income households and the economy at large. According to that study, nearly half of ACP households surveyed reported that without the subsidy they might cut off service or downgrade their plan.

The study further estimates that ACP's end will result in over "$2 billion in lost consumer financial benefits and service delivery efficiencies for health care providers."

We dive more into those findings, and we discuss policy takeaways and potential paths forward for ACP's resurrection.

Here are a few topics covered in this episode:

  • Background on the study, who was surveyed and why (02:52)

  • Number of respondents who will cancel service without the ACP (04:58)

  • The $2 billion economic impact of ACP's end (06:51)

  • What the survey gleaned about affordability challenges for ACP homes (09:44)

  • Why the data suggests $30 is still the ideal subsidy for a future ACP (13:32)

  • How a broadband subsidy could fit into existing federal benefits (16:00)

  • Musings about the ACP and the presidential race (19:00)

  • How the Universal Service Fund (USF)* could support the ACP (22:30)

*Ed. note: This episode was recorded before the fifth circuit court struck down the USF, putting its future in question.

For a lightly edited transcript of this conversation, click the caption button on the podcast player.

Read more about:

The DivideACP

About the Author

Nicole Ferraro

Editor, host of 'The Divide' podcast, Light Reading

Nicole covers broadband's impact on society, with a focus on policy and the digital divide. She hosts The Divide on the Light Reading Podcast and tracks broadband builds in The Buildout column.

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