With a Lifeline at Risk, Mayors Urge Congress to Renew Critical High-Speed Internet Program

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Apr 09, 2024, 13:10 ET

Affordable Connectivity Program Supported Digital Access for 23 Million American Households

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With the expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), quality and affordable high-speed internet access for millions of people in American cities hangs in the balance, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) is urging Congress to act quickly to renew the program. The ACP was created in the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law to help close the digital divide by guaranteeing low-cost access to high-speed internet for those in need. Earlier this year, USCM sent a letter to lawmakers supporting renewal of the program, with a bipartisan group of 174 mayors signing on. Echoing this call for renewal, USCM President Reno (NV) Mayor Hillary Schieve released the following statement:

"Quality internet is not a luxury in America; it is critical to education, economic opportunity, good health, and societal connection. With a digital divide that has long contributed to chronic inequity in America, the ACP has given people a lifeline. After all the progress we've made to strengthen our cities, we cannot pull the plug on 23 million American families. Congress must put aside its partisan differences, embrace the spirit of the bipartisan infrastructure law and act to renew this critical program. All Americans deserve to have access to quality and affordable broadband and Mayors will continue to fight until this program is extended for all those who depend on it."

About the United States Conference of Mayors – The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Follow our work on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, and Medium.