EveryoneOn’s #ActivateLAforACP’s Success Connecting Los Angeles Families to Affordable Internet
By Oscar Magaña, Los Angeles Program Manager, EveryoneOn
I’m excited to share the results of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) enrollment event on March 20, 2023, at the Pio-Pico Koreatown Library branch, in partnership with the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL), the office of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman, Jessica Rosenworcel, and the Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass.
The ACP is an essential program that offers low-income families, students, and households in under-resourced areas access to reliable and inexpensive internet services. Qualifying homes receive a $30 monthly subsidy on internet service and up to $100 per household for the purchase of a connected device such as a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (your local internet provider must be participating in this part of the benefit for you to receive a device discount). The Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB), approved under COVID-19 relief legislation, was replaced by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that authorized the $14.2 billion ACP federal subsidy.
Staff from LAPL and EveryoneOn were on hand at the event to provide information to families about the advantages of the ACP. Along with helping families enroll in the program, which can take up to 20 minutes each, we assisted them with program-related inquiries they had, such as how to qualify or the status of a previously submitted application. We offered registration assistance in three languages—English, Spanish, and Korean—with the help of the Pio-Pico Koreatown Library staff.
The event was a huge success drawing 30 families from as far away as Bell Gardens and Van Nuys. It was encouraging to witness the families' joy and gratitude for the chance to enroll and finally get access to reasonably priced and trustworthy internet services. Many families expressed their desire to benefit from the initiative since they had previously struggled with the high cost of internet connections. They often were forced to cancel service because the expense of maintaining connectivity had been a barrier for them.
The event’s accomplishments emphasize how crucial the ACP is to increasing underserved populations' access to high-speed internet.
I'm honored to have been a part of this event and contributed to a bigger initiative to close the digital divide in the U.S. The ACP is an important program that can greatly influence the lives of many low-income families, students, and households. I look forward to seeing its future funding expansion and continued success.