Pallone & FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Call for Congress to Keep Internet Service Affordable for New Jersey Families

Red Bank, NJ – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel today called for urgent congressional action to extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. The program provides eligible households with a discount on their monthly internet bills. Currently, 338,000 New Jersey families are benefiting from the program, including nearly 24,000 households in Pallone’s Congressional district. To date, New Jersey families have received more than $151 million from the program, saving $8.3 million each month.

If Congress does not act, this widely successful program is expected to run out of funding this spring, which could raise internet costs and may cause some families to lose reliable internet service entirely. Pallone supports the bipartisan Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act that would provide $7 billion to extend the program beyond this spring.

“These days, high-speed internet is not a luxury – it’s a necessity. Americans depend on the internet to apply for jobs, run their small businesses, study for school, and connect with family and friends. The Affordable Connectivity Program has been a gamechanger for those struggling with rising costs and a tremendous step forward in our ongoing fight to connect every American to the internet,” Pallone said. “The digital divide will only grow larger if Congress fails to extend funding for the program in the coming months. We simply cannot allow this to happen. This program is helping Americans in every zip code and every congressional district – Democrat and Republican – and we must come together in a bipartisan way to pass the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act.”

“We all know that high-speed internet is no longer a nice-to-have, but a need-to-have for everyone, everywhere. The early days of the pandemic made that clearer than ever. Congress took note and worked together to make the Affordable Connectivity Program possible, the nation’s largest broadband affordability effort in our history,” said Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman, Jessica Rosenworcel. “Thanks to that initial investment, we know have more than 23 million households as part of the ACP and many more eligible. I thank Congressman Pallone for championing this program and all the good it’s doing in so many people’s lives. We’ve come too far to turn back now.” 

“For too long, affordable connectivity was out of reach for so many older adults. The Affordable Connectivity Program changed that. Nationwide, 10 million households enrolled in ACP are headed by an adult age 50 and older, including more than 150,000 households in New Jersey,” said AARP New Jersey State Director, Chris Widelo. “High-speed internet ensures older New Jerseyans have access to essential services, such as telehealth visits with doctors, virtual check-ins with caregivers, as well as the ability to stay connected with loved ones to avoid social isolation. On behalf of AARP’s more than 1 million Garden State members and all older New Jerseyans, we urge Congress to extend funding for this critical program. Everyone should have access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet.”

“The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has already delivered the promise of internet connectivity for 23 million households, helping hard-working people secure access to telehealth services, educational tools and resources, new job opportunities, and more. With the program set to expire in April, these households face the risk of re-entering the digital divide – and losing the opportunities and access that home internet provides,” said Rafael Collazo, Director, Political Campaigns, UnidosUS. “The ACP Extension Act will protect all low-income subscribers and ensure they do not lose access to this essential service. By investing in the ACP, we are making essential down-payments towards fostering an economically equitable and inclusive future for all.”

“One in ten New Jerseyans is Asian American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. As with many other AANHPI and immigrant communities across the country, many still struggle to access adequate internet connections and are being left behind by the digital divide,” said SALDEF Board Member Rajvir Singh Goomer. “As the funding deadline approaches, we stand to lose the important progress we have made in closing the digital divide. We strongly urge Congress to continue their investment in this critical program.”

“Access to affordable, high-speed internet service is critical for New Jersey's low-income families and communities of color, who continue to struggle to afford necessities such as housing, healthcare, food, and education,” said Maura Collinsgru, Director of Policy and Advocacy for New Jersey Citizen Action. “Extending the Affordable Connectivity Program means we continue to level the socio-economic playing field for our state's most vulnerable residents, providing them with more opportunities to thrive and prosper. We applaud Congressman Pallone for championing the program's extension, and urge every member of Congress to follow his example and support the  Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act.”

As Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee last Congress, Pallone fought to include the $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The FCC administers the Affordable Connectivity Program, and 23 million American families are now utilizing it to afford their internet service since it was launched.