The National Lifeline Association (NaLA) has released a survey and personal testimonies that paint a poignant picture of how some people are struggling without the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
The survey has more than 68,000 responses and almost 30,000 testimonies from Lifeline and/or former ACP participants.
“I have read thousands of heartbreaking testimonies from consumers since ACP funding ran out,” said David B. Dorwart, Chairman of the NaLA Board.
“Lifeline and the ACP bring affordable internet and phone service to the communities who need it most for everything from telehealth to school to staying connected with loved ones. Lawmakers must refund the ACP and fix the Universal Service Fund’s Lifeline program to ensure all American households have affordable access to essential communications.”
Highlights from the survey:
- 40% cut food spending to afford their monthly internet bills; 36% indicated they discontinued telehealth, and 64% said they could not maintain regular contact with friends and family.
- About 20% of respondents report being unable to work remotely or pick up shift work, and nearly 20% report children having difficulty completing homework.
- At least 80% of Lifeline/ACP subscribers live at or below the poverty line, almost one-third are homeless or live in temporary housing, more than half are older Americans. 39% face unemployment due to a disability and 12% are retirees with limited incomes. Without ACP/Lifeline support, 72% would not be able to pay for internet service every month.
- Nearly 95% of Lifeline and ACP subscribers say they cannot afford any additional payments toward their monthly service and about half of all respondents are unbanked.
- 70% of consumers rely on their ACP/Lifeline benefits to access healthcare services, including communicating with doctors and telehealth appointments. More than one-third of subscribers use their ACP- or Lifeline-supported devices to connect with their communities, pursue remote work opportunities, access jobs and participate in online education.
- 78% of respondents lack access to a consistent form of internet or mobile data. Without ACP/Lifeline benefits, 20% of consumers accessed the internet through a family member’s devices, 27% used public libraries and Wi-Fi, and more than 31% had no internet access.
- 85% of consumers rely on mobile wireless services to meet their household needs, though fewer than 15% have access to unlimited data plans. More than 80% closely manage their data usage due to budget constraints.
- Nearly 75% of consumers surveyed value access to voice, text, and data equally. Those who prioritized one service feature over another said voice service was the most important service feature (16%).
NaLA provided anonymous quotes that suggest the hardship behind the numbers. Two examples:
“When you live on disability, it is just hard to pay for phone service and internet. Everything is so expensive now — you have to budget or give up something hard to have phone service or internet.”
and
“I simply can’t afford to have a phone and internet while I’m fighting cancer and can’t work at the moment. I chose to have the phone because I need to be able to speak to my doctors.”