Remarks By President Biden on the Affordable Connectivity Program
MAY 09, 2022
Location: Not determined

1:47 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everyone.  Welcome to the sunny Rose Garden.  (Applause.)  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

That old saying, “All that needs to be said has already been said, but I’m going to say it again.”  (Laughter.)

Look, Alisha, thank you very much for your story.

And I wanted to — I want to thank the Vice President, Vice President Harris, for leading this effort and this administration on this issue. 

And I’m proud to announce today that our administration has brought together Democrats, Republicans, the private sector to lower the high-speed Internet costs for tens of millions of Americans.

You know, but before we get into the details, I want to talk about why this matters.  You already know that, actually, from hearing my two colleagues speak before me.

But here in the United States of America, how many times have you seen a mom or a dad drive up to a parking lot outside a McDonald’s and — just so they could get connected to the Internet so their kid could do their homework during the pandemic, literally?  It’s just not right.  It’s not who we are.

And we saw, during the pandemic, how essential high-speed Internet really is in allowing seniors to connect with their doctors through telemedicine, as the Vice President referenced, when it wasn’t safe to go in person; allowing students to keep learning back when schools were closed; allowing millions of — millions workers to do their job remotely; allowing small businesses to stay afloat on the strength of their online sales; allowing farmers to use precision agriculture technology to improve their yields; and allowing countless families to stay connected to the people they love, even when they weren’t able to get together. 

You know, the need for high-speed Internet is — is a little bit like what used to be probably what my grandfather talked about: needing to have a telephone.  It’s pretty consequential.  And it’s only going to keep growing, this need.  High-speed Internet is not a luxury any longer, it’s a necessity. 

And that’s why the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included $65 billion to make sure we expand access to broadband Internet in every region of the country — urban, suburban, and rural — everywhere — everywhere — (applause) — so every household in America can get connected.

By — by expanding access it’s only — it’s only part of the challenge, though, as was referenced by the Vice President.  It was about affordability as well.  And today, too many families simply can’t afford to get connected, even if there’s access to get connected.  So they go without high-speed Internet or they sacrifice other necessities in order to make it work. 

That’s why — that’s why, in November, when we passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, we also created something called the Affordable Connectivity Program.  I refuse to call it the “ACP.”  (Laughter.)  I am so tired of acronyms in Washington.  I can’t stand it.  (Applause.)  I cannot stand it.  But I’m going to have to learn, aren’t I?  (Laughter.) 

Here’s how it works: If your household income is twice the federal poverty level or less — that’s about $55,000 per year for a family of four or $27,000 for an individual — or a member of your household is on Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income or a number of other programs, you’re eligible to — for affordably connect — the Affordable Connectivity Program. 

Nearly 40 percent of the households in America qualify.  And if you qualify, you’re going to get a $30 credit per month toward your Internet bill, which me- — which most folks — will mean they get on for nothing.  Look — zero.   

Let me explain: In the past, 30 bucks a month meant you had to settle for a slow Internet service, unless you wanted to pay a heck of a lot more out of pocket.  But over the last few months, my administration has worked closely with Internet providers — this is a case where big business stepped up — urging them to cut their prices and raise their — their speeds.