Affordable Connectivity Program Overview
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was created by Congress and implemented by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to assist eligible households to pay for internet services. The ACP will provide assistance to customers needing to connect to jobs, healthcare, and virtual classrooms.
The goal of this program is to ensure that internet service is affordable for everyone. However, you must use the service to keep the subsidy. If you reach 30 days without any internet usage, you may no longer be eligible to receive the subsidy.
The ACP is funded by Congress. In the event it is discontinued, the FCC will announce its end date. In that case, at the end of the program, you will be charged the undiscounted rate if you continue to receive the service, which will be subject to our general terms and conditions. You may transfer this ACP subsidy to another provider at any time.
TRICOLINK INTERNET PACKAGES AND PRICES BEFORE ANY (ACP) DISCOUNTS ARE APPLIED!
Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) Frequently Asked Questions
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a federal program created as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Among other things, this program can help qualified households pay for connectivity services such as internet and wireless plans with data. The program extended and modified the more temporary Emergency Broadband Benefit.
A household is eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program if the household income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if a member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:
• Participates in one of these assistance programs:
• SNAP
• Medicaid
• Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, including at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision schools
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision schools
• Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
• Veterans Pension or Survivor Benefits
• Lifeline
• Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
• Participates in one of these assistance programs and lives on Qualifying Tribal lands:
• Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
• Tribal TANF
• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
• Tribal Head Start (income-based)
The easiest way to apply is to go to affordableconnectivity.gov. TriCoLink does not determine eligibility. To help speed up your enrollment, be sure to save your Application ID from the federal government’s National Verifier. Once you are approved, call TriCoLink at 877-874-1215 to enroll with your National Verifier application ID. If you are already approved for Lifeline, there is no need to re-apply for ACP. You’re automatically eligible. Let us know you already have Lifeline, we’ll verify it and apply your ACP benefit.
The ACP benefit will appear on the next billing cycle after the benefit is applied to the customer’s TriCoLink account.
Lifeline is a government assistance program which provides eligible low-income subscribers an opportunity to receive the Lifeline benefit on certain voice and broadband Internet access services. Like ACP, the Lifeline benefit is nontransferable, only eligible consumers may enroll in the program, and the program is limited to one Lifeline benefit per household.
If you currently receive a Lifeline benefit, you automatically qualify for the ACP, and you can receive both benefits at the same time. Both benefits can be applied to the same qualifying service or separately with the same or different providers. For example, an eligible household could have a Lifeline-supported wireless phone service and a separate home internet service that is supported through the Affordable Connectivity Program.
The benefit is available on all TriCoLink Internet plans, which is now delivering up to 1 GIG speeds in all of our service areas.* The ACP benefit will remain on your account even if you upgrade your service.
If you choose an internet plan that costs more than the monthly benefit available through the ACP, you are responsible for any amount over the $30 per month (or over $75 per month on Tribal lands) ACP benefit.
The ACP can help qualified households pay for connectivity services such as internet and wireless plans with data. The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly benefit per household. TriCoLink does not sell cell phones or cell phone plans.
"Household" is defined as any individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address as one economic unit. An "economic unit" is defined as "all adult individuals contributing to and sharing in the income and expenses of a household." You can read more about how household is defined and examples here.
You can find out more about which areas are eligible Tribal lands by visiting this site.
Each household can only receive the monthly Affordable Connectivity Program benefit on one service at a time, so if you already receive the ACP benefit on your wireless service, you would not be eligible for the ACP benefit on your internet service at the same time. You may transfer your benefit from your wireless service to your internet service.