National Day of Action Spurs 280,000+ Calls, Emails, and Tweets to Save Critical Broadband Subsidy Congress Flooded with Pleas to Fund the Popular and Bipartisan Affordable Connectivity Program on Don’t Disconnect US Day
Washington, D.C.
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February 01, 2024 03:05 PM Eastern Standard Time
Today, the Affordable Broadband Campaign shared the outputs from its national day of action: Americans made more than 280,000 calls, emails, and social media posts to Congress in support of funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The program provides discounts to nearly 23 million American households and needs $7 billion in funding from Congress to ensure people aren’t disconnected from the internet this year.
Don’t Disconnect US Day, which took place on January 25, spurred those who care about affordable internet to contact their congressional representatives by phone or email by visiting www.dontdisconnectus.org or partner platforms. The resulting actions from supporters calling for Congress to fund the program included:
- More than 281,000 emails, calls, and tweets to Congress in one week
- More than 225,000 emails and calls to Congress in one week
- More than 114,000 emails and calls to Congress on one day alone (January 25)
- More than 55,000 posts on social media, including from Sen. Peter Welch (VT) and Rep. Yvette Clark (NY-09)
- Dozens of op-eds, blogs, and news reports published in a variety of publications, including The Dallas Morning News, News Center Maine, Broadband Breakfast, Benton Institute, and more
Don’t Disconnect US also coincided with the date the Federal Communications Commission instructed internet service providers to inform customers that the ACP credit on their bill is ending. One in six U.S. households is currently enrolled in the program, including approximately 960,000 veterans, 3.1 million families with a K-12 student receiving free or reduced-price lunch, and 5 million seniors.
“Phones were ringing off the hook in Congressional Offices, plus inboxes were flooded with emails from all 50 states,” said Gigi Sohn, spokesperson for the Affordable Broadband Campaign. “We launched Don’t Disconnect US Day because the situation facing 23 million American households is dire: unless Congress acts now, approximately 50 million Americans could be without their internet. Members of Congress need to listen to their constituents and fund this program now.”
A bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers has introduced a path forward with the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024, which would provide $7 billion to extend the ACP through the end of the year. The effort is led by Sen. Peter Welch (VT), Sen. J.D. Vance (OH), Sen. Jacky Rosen (NV), Sen. Kevin Cramer (ND), Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (NY-04), Rep. Marcus Molinaro (NY-19), and Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17).
Don’t Disconnect US was led by the Affordable Broadband Campaign, a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring affordable and robust broadband for all.
About the Affordable Broadband Campaign
The Affordable Broadband Campaign is a group of like-minded nonprofit, industry, civil society, and public interest groups that have come together around one issue: sustainable broadband affordability. The U.S. needs a sustainable policy solution to the problem, and the Affordable Broadband Campaign is focused on securing that through an informed, deliberate strategy.
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