ACP Wind-Down Consumer Fact Sheet Page 1 of 3

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) 

Wind-Down Fact Sheet

Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was tasked 

to develop and maintain the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) – a federal program that offers 

eligible households a discount on their monthly internet bill and a one-time discount off the purchase of a 

laptop, desktop computer, or tablet. Over 23 million eligible households are currently enrolled and 

receiving the monthly discount. 

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What’s happening?

The $14.2 billion Congress initially made available for the ACP is running out. Due to the lack of 

additional funding for the ACP, the Commission has announced that April 2024 will be the last month that 

the ACP households will receive the full ACP discount, as they have received in prior months. ACP 

households may receive a partial discount in May 2024. After May 2024, unless Congress provides 

additional funding, ACP households will no longer receive the ACP benefit and the ACP will end.

As a result, the FCC has begun taking steps to wind-down the ACP that include: 

• January 11, 2024: The FCC released an Order detailing the wind-down process. 

• January 25, 2024: By this date, households that were receiving the monthly ACP discount 

should have received their first notice from their internet company with information about the end 

of the ACP.

• February 8, 2024: The ACP stopped accepting new applications and enrollments. Both paper and 

electronic ACP applications were removed and are no longer available. Households that were 

approved and enrolled with an internet company before this date and remain enrolled in the 

program will continue to receive their ACP discounts during the wind-down period until the ACP 

ends.

• March 4, 2024: The FCC issued a Public Notice announcing that April 2024 will be the last 

month for ACP households to receive the full ACP discount, as they have in prior months. ACP 

households may receive a partial discount in May. 

• March 19, 2024: ACP households should have received their second notice from their internet 

company, informing them that the ACP is ending and the impact on their internet service and 

bills. The third notice will be included as part of the last bill or billing cycle in which the full ACP 

discount is applied.

• April 2024: If Congress does not provide additional funding, April 2024 will be the last month 

ACP households will receive the full ACP discount, as they have received in prior months. 
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• May 2024: If Congress does not provide additional funding, ACP households may receive a 

partial ACP discount from their internet company in May 2024.

• After May 2024: If Congress does not provide additional funding, the ACP will run out of 

funding and ACP households will no longer receive the ACP benefit. 

Notifications from ACP Internet Companies:

During the wind-down period, internet companies are required to send ACP households three (3) separate 

notices about the ACP ending and its impact on household internet bills and service. Internet companies 

are also required to send notices to ACP households in writing and in a manner that is accessible to 

persons with disabilities.

• First Notice: By January 25, 2024, ACP households should have received their first written 

notice from their internet company informing them that the ACP is ending and the impact on their 

service and bill.

• Second Notice: By March 19, 2024, ACP households should have received their second written 

notice from their internet company, informing them that the ACP is ending and the impact on 

their internet service and bills. 

• Final (Third) Notice: This notice will be included as part of the last bill or billing cycle in which 

the full ACP discount is applied.

Internet companies are encouraged to send notices in the same way they usually communicate with 

households, including in a household’s preferred language. Households may receive these notices from 

their internet company by e-mail, text, in the mail, or along with their bill. 

Internet companies are encouraged to send notices beyond the FCC’s required schedule that may also 

inform consumers about other low-cost offerings or low-income programs that may be available. 

Determining how to continue internet service:

During the ACP Wind-Down: 

ACP households are not required to stay with their internet company or continue to receive the same 

internet service after the end of the ACP. 

• Households can decide to opt out (no longer continue internet service after the ACP ends) by

contacting their internet company and telling them they would like to drop their internet service.

If households wish to continue to receive internet service, they can:

• select another, lower cost internet plan from the same internet company, or 

• start an internet service with a different internet company

ACP households will not be charged termination fees or fees for changing plans with the same or 

different ACP internet company.

After the ACP ends:

ACP households may have been asked by their internet company if they wish to continue service after the 

ACP has ended. ACP households may have been asked this when they signed up to receive the ACP 

discount with their internet company or more recently. 

ACP households will continue to receive internet service after the ACP ends if they:
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• Previously agreed to continue internet service from their internet company. 

• Paid for internet service from their internet company BEFORE they started receiving the ACP 

discount. 

• Currently contribute to the cost of their internet service even with the ACP discount applied. 

o This includes households that contribute to the cost of any portion of bundled services 

(such as those offering voice, internet, and texting or video and internet) that include 

ACP-supported internet service. 

ACP households will NOT continue to receive internet service after the ACP ends, if they:

• DID NOT previously agree to continue internet service after the end of ACP.

• Have not paid their internet company for service. 

If a household is not sure if they previously opted in or opted out to receiving service from their internet 

company after the ACP ends, contact their internet company and discuss their options.

Consumer Protections:

During the ACP Wind-Down, ACP internet companies are still responsible for following the consumer 

protection requirements in the ACP rules. Some of the ACP rules will continue even after the ACP has 

ended. The ACP rules include, but are not limited to:

Transferring ACP Discount: During the ACP Wind-Down, households can continue to transfer 

their ACP discount to other participating internet companies who continue to accept ACP transfers.

Terminating Service: ACP internet companies cannot end an eligible ACP household's internet 

service for failure to pay for service until 90 days has passed since the bill due date. However, with 

advance notice, ACP internet companies can switch the household to a lower-cost internet plan if 

the household enters a delinquent status after the bill due date. This rule will be in place for as long 

as the household continues to receive the ACP discount.

Early Termination Fees: If a household applied their ACP discount to an internet plan that has a

service contract, the internet company cannot charge the household an early termination fee for 

ending that service contract early, even after the ACP ends. 

Preparing for the ACP Ending:

To prepare for the end of the ACP, households are strongly encouraged to:

• Consistently check their emails, text messages, and mail for notices from their internet company

about the ACP ending and how it will impact their internet bill. 

• Contact their internet company and ask if they have a lower cost plan and/or a low-income 

program. When calling their internet company, have account and billing verification information.

• Contact Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) for questions about the wind-down. 

Consumers can call the ACP Support Center at 877-384-2575 or go to 

AffordableConnectivity.gov for information about the status of the program. 

• Consumers can also file a complaint through the FCC's Consumer Complaint Center at 

https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov about ACP billing and service issues.

For more information refer to the ACP Wind-Down Order, the ACP Wind-Down 60-Day Public Notice, 

and the consumer guides located on the FCC’s website at www.fcc.gov/acp.