ACP opened for AT&T and Cricket customers

Millions of Americans struggle to pay for internet service, but now more than a quarter of US households may be eligible for federal financial assistance to help save money on their bills in 2022.

How can customers benefit?

AT&T and Cricket Wireless recently opened enrollment for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a new federal initiative that aims to help more Americans afford the broadband connections they need for work, school and more.

Here are the key takeaways:

How it works: ACP is a $14 billion program which lowers the cost of internet service by up to $30 per month for eligible households, or up to $75 per month on qualifying Tribal lands. ACP replaces the temporary Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program and provides support to substantially more Americans than EBB.

How to sign up: First, apply to the federal government’s National Verifier at ACPBenefit.org to see if you are eligible. If approved, you will be able to order new AT&T Internet or prepaid wireless service, or have the monthly benefit applied to existing service. More details on the process are available at att.com/ACP and cricketwireless.com/ACP.

Media resources: For media or organizers. If you’d like to learn more about what we’re doing – and to help explain how viewers can see if they qualify – we can offer an interview with a local AT&T spokesperson. We also have B-roll available that illustrates what building out broadband service looks like.

Effective 12/31/2021, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) replaced the temporary Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. Eligible households enrolled in EBB as of 6 p.m. ET on 12/30/2021 will continue to receive their current EBB monthly benefit during a 60-day transition period through 3/1/2022. At that time, your benefit will be reduced from up to $50 to up to $30 a month if you remain eligible for the program. The benefit for Tribal Lands will not change and will be up to $75 a month.

If you qualified for EBB based on substantial loss of income due to COVID-19, you may be required to reverify your eligibility to remain enrolled in ACP and continue to receive a benefit. You will receive additional information from the federal government if you are required to take any steps to continue receiving the benefit after 3/1/2022. If you are no longer eligible as of 3/1/2022, you will no longer receive a benefit and the cost of your rate plan will be the then-current monthly rate for that plan.