Opting In or Out of Continuing Internet Service

What’s happening with the ACP?

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 

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. For more information about the winddown, visit: www.fcc.gov/acp.

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:

• 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 Wind-Down Opt-in, Opt-Out Consumer Fact Sheet Page 2 of 2

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.

Questions to Ask Internet Companies

Here are some recommended questions that ACP households should ask when contacting their internet 

company to discuss options after the ACP ends: 

• How will my internet bill change after April 2024?

• Will I continue to receive internet service after the ACP ends (did I opt in or out previously)?

o If so, what will be my out-of-pocket expense for my internet service after the ACP ends?

o If I did not previously opt-in to receive internet service after the ACP ends, what should I 

do if I decide I want to continue internet service?

• Are there other low-cost internet plans that will meet my household needs?

Households should prepare to discuss how their household uses internet service. For example, occasional 

or frequent teleworkers, students with homework, devices supported by internet connection. Ask how 

much the recommended internet plan will cost.

Stay Informed

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. 

Check Out the Lifeline Program

ACP households may also be eligible for the FCC’s Lifeline program, which offers up to $9.25 a month 

off phone, internet, or bundled phone and internet services (up to $34.25 if you live on qualifying Tribal 

Lands). Not all ACP recipients will qualify for Lifeline and not all ACP internet companies participate in 

the Lifeline Program. To learn more and apply, visit lifelinesupport.org.