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Lifeline and ACP


What's The Difference?

The Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Programs both support affordable access to essential communications services for low-income Americans. Both empower customers to choose the broadband connectivity (fixed or mobile, which can be bundled with voice and text) that best suits their needs.

There are a few key differences in their origins, offerings, and the criteria for eligibility.

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*Offer subject to eligibility for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and Lifeline. Offer may vary by location and ACP Terms & Conditions apply. GSM coverage required.

Lifeline & ACP History

Lifeline

  • Created in 1985 during the Reagan Administration and initially focused on discounts for phone service
  • Reformed in 2005 under the Bush Administration to include cell phone service offered by wireless resellers
  • Reformed again under the Obama Administration in 2016 to provide support for broadband services — both fixed and mobile

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

  • Created in 2021 as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
  • Replaced the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) – a temporary bipartisan program to provide affordable access to broadband and certain connected devices during the COVID-19 pandemic

What It Covers

Lifeline

  • Discounts on fixed or mobile broadband service (which can be bundled with voice and text)
  • $9.25 monthly discount per household
  • Up to $34.25 monthly discount for those on Tribal lands
  • Discounts on voice-only service (scheduled to phase out Dec. 1, 2023)
  • $5.25 monthly discount
  • No device discount
  • Service must meet minimum service standards
  • Mobile Voice: 1000 minutes
  • Mobile Broadband: 3G, 4.5 GB usage allowance
  • Fixed Broadband: 25/3 Mbps, 1280 GB usage allowance
  • Eligibility limited to one benefit per household

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

  • Discounts on fixed or mobile broadband service (which can be bundled with voice and text)
  • Up to $30 monthly discount per household
  • Up to $75 monthly discount for those on Tribal lands
  • One-time benefit of up to $100 to purchase a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer (a co-payment of $10.01 – $50 is required)
  • No support for voice-only service
  • No minimum service standards
  • Eligibility limited to one benefit per household

See If You Qualify For Lifeline

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Who Participates?

Lifeline

  • 7.4 million Americans participate

    • 20% estimated participation rate
    • 93% of lines are mobile, 7% fixed
    Eligible households:
    • Have incomes at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines

    —OR—

    • Participate in SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, or SSI

    —OR—

    • Participate in Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribally-Administered TANF, Tribal Head Start or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

     

    Eligibility is determined by the National Verifier (run by USAC)

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

  • 18.5 million households — representing nearly 60 million Americans — participate

    • 35% estimated participation rate
    • 54% of lines are mobile, 46% fixed
    Eligible households:
    • Have incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines

    —OR—

    • Participate in SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, or SSI

    —OR—

    • Participate in Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribally-Administered TANF, Tribal Head Start or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

    —OR—

    • Participate in WIC, Pell Grant, Free and Reduced Price School Lunch

     

    Eligibility is determined by the National Verifier (run by USAC), or by service providers with approved Alternative Verification Plans

Enroll in Lifeline & ACP Now

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How It Works

Lifeline

  • Funded by the Universal Service Fund (USF)
  • Operated by the FCC
  • Consumers must apply online, by mail, or through a participating internet service provider. Once eligibility is verified, they can enroll with any participating service provider
  • High barrier to entry for service providers
  • Providers need state public utility commission ETC designation (unless state lacks jurisdiction)
  • The FCC hasn’t approved new or expanded participation by service providers in over a decade
  • Challenges — barriers to service provider participation, the unrealistically low support amount, and minimum service standards result in fewer service provider participants, less consumer choice and anemic program participation

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

  • Funded by Congress in a $14.2B lump sum through the IIJA
  • Operated by the FCC
  • Consumers must apply online, by mail, or through a participating internet service provider. Once eligibility is verified, they can enroll with any participating service provider
  • Low barrier to entry for service providers
  • FCC routinely and quickly approves participation
  • States have no role
  • Advantages — no minimum service standards, so consumers benefit from widespread competition which is yielding rapid growth in consumer participation

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What’s Next – Funding the Programs

Lifeline

  • The contribution rate has risen to 30%+ and the base for the USF continues to shrink.
  • Calls for USF contributions reform have grown, with some calling for broader reform of the program as a whole.
  • Contributions – some call for expanding the base to require contributions from broadband and tech companies; others ask for Congressional appropriation of funds
  • Programmatic reform – some call for repurposing USF from subsidizing network builds to support ongoing operations and maintenance for networks; some call for combining Lifeline and ACP under a reformed USF
  • USF spending currently exceeds $8 billion a year (with Lifeline spending artificially stifled)

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

  • Funding will run out as early as Spring 2024 unless Congress appropriates more funds.
  • Additional funding is needed to avoid disconnecting the up to 25 million households and 75 million low-income Americans when the fund runs out.
  • While some would rather see the program funded through the USF and/or combined with Lifeline, it appears unlikely that USF reform could be proposed, adopted, and implemented before ACP funds are exhausted
  • ACP spending currently runs at $7 billion a year (and growing)

Lifeline Program

Due to sharing many of the same eligibility requirements those currently enrolled in the lifeline program may qualify for The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) also.

Medicaid / Medi-Cal

Program Approval Letter, Benefit Statement, or Verification of Coverage Letter, should contain the following basic information:

  • Name of the program or state equivalent,
  • Name of the beneficiary,
  • Address of the beneficiary, and
  • Date of the award

OR

Eligibility Screenshot or printout from an online portal or website tool, should contain the following basic information:

  • Name of the program or state equivalent,
  • Name of the beneficiary
  • Medical Identification number, OR
  • Case number,
  • Eligibility dates, OR
  • Current participation status

Federal Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans & Survivors Pension Benefit

Pension Grant Letter, should contain the following basic information:

  • Participant’s name
  • Address
  • A decision about the participant’s monthly entitlement amount
  • Payment start date

Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)

FPHA award letter, should contain the following basic information:

  • Name of the program,
  • Date of the award,
  • Name of the beneficiary, and
  • Award amount.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Approval Letter or Benefit Statement issued by the SSA, or on SSA letterhead.

  • Consumer’s name
  • Date
  • Eligibility Date
  • Claim number OR Other consumer identification number
  • Payment amount

SNAP / Food Stamps / CalFresh

Program Approval Letter, Benefit Statement, or Verification of Coverage Letter, should contain the following basic information:

  • Name of the program,
  • Name of the beneficiary,
  • Eligibility dates, OR
  • Current participation status

OR

Eligibility Screenshot or printout from an online portal or website tool, should contain the following basic information:

  • Name of the program or state equivalent,
  • Name of the beneficiary,
  • Case number,
  • Eligibility dates, OR
  • Current participation status