Delaware Gov. John Carney is spearheading a new initiative to increase awareness of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) across the state.
The ACP – created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Through the ACP, eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.
“Stable, high-speed internet connection is critical for all Delaware families, students, and businesses. The Affordable Connectivity Program will help ensure everyone has internet access for school, work, health care, and more,” said Gov. Carney.
According to Gov. Carney’s office, more than 140,000 Delaware households are estimated to be eligible for the ACP, and about only 32,000 households have enrolled so far. For the initiative, the state is partnering with the nonprofit EducationSuperHighway to build a coalition of local stakeholders and trusted institutions to overcome awareness, trust, and enrollment barriers that prevent households in under-resourced communities from enrolling. Thus far, 14 cities and towns have signed on to participate in the initiative.
As part of the partnership, EducationSuperHighway will train community leaders and partner organizations and provide outreach materials and tools to help households enroll.
Additionally, eligible households will be able to use the nonprofit’s recently launched GetACP.org, which is a virtual mobile assistant that simplifies the ACP enrollment process by providing real-time support to help eligible households determine the easiest way to qualify.
According to Gov. Carney’s office, the mobile website is available in four languages and helps applicants overcome “critical barriers in the enrollment process” by helping them identify the documents needed when applying and find “free with ACP” broadband plans available at their address.
