New Program Available to Help Eligible Kansas Residents Afford High-Speed Internet

Affordable, Reliable High-Speed Internet is Essential for Health & Safety of Older Kansans

New long-term help is now available for Kansas residents who are struggling to afford the high-speed internet services they need to stay connected to family members, friends, health care providers, work and so much more.  Applications are now being accepted for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a $14.2 billion federal program created late last year as part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

The ACP provides eligible recipients a discount of up to $30 per month for high-speed internet services.  For Kansans living on Tribal lands, the monthly household benefit is $75 per month. It also includes a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer or tablet purchased through a participating provider.

“The pandemic has shown us that access to high-speed internet is not a luxury; it is a necessity,” says Glenda DuBoise, State Director of AARP Kansas, which serves more than 288,000 members age 50 and older in Kansas.  “AARP fought for the Affordable Connectivity Program because too many Americans do not have access to the affordable, high-speed internet they need to work, attend school, see the doctor and avoid isolation.”

Kansas residents who are struggling to get by may be eligible to apply for the ACP, including those who:

• Have household income of less than $25,760 for a single-family household or $43,540 for a couple (at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.)

• Qualify for the Lifeline program or Medicaid, receive SNAP or WIC benefits, Federal Public Housing Assistance or Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefits.

• Live on Tribal lands, and have at least one person in the household who participates in Bureau of Indian Affairs general assistance, Tribally administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Head Start (only those households meeting its income qualifying standard), or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.

The ACP modifies and extends the existing temporary Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program in effect last year as part of COVID-19 relief. More than 8.9 million Americans received support during the EBB’s 8-month tenure, nearly 40% of whom were age 50+. Kansans enrolled in the EBB Program before 5 p.m. CT on December 30, 2021 will continue to receive their current monthly benefit (up to $50) during the 60-day transition period, which ends on March 1, 2022.

“The pandemic continues to take a severe financial toll on many Kansas families,” says DuBoise. “It is important for Kansans to review the new ACP program, because some who weren’t eligible last year for the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program may be eligible now for the important broadband benefits provided by the ACP.”  

Kansans can apply for the Affordable Connectivity Program now. AARP encourages all Americans who are without access to high-speed internet, or struggling to afford it, to look into the Affordable Connectivity Program today:

o   Visit aarp.org/ACP for more information

o   Call: 1-833-511-0311

o   Text INTERNET to 22777

For more information, check out the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) news release at https://kcc.ks.gov/news-1-20-22.