Highlights

In April 2024, SSRS conducted a survey of n=2,525 lower-income U.S. adults from the SSRS Opinion Panel on behalf of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society to assess broadband service affordability. The survey took place just as the federally funded Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was coming to an end and many lower-income Americans were at risk of losing a monthly $30 stipend supporting their internet connectivity.

The ACP originated in 2021 as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, as the need for stable, high-speed home internet access for all households became increasingly apparent during COVID.  At its height, the ACP served more than 23 million households in the U.S., supporting high-speed internet access through a $30 monthly stipend applied directly to the bill from the household’s internet provider.

Following the end of the ACP in May 2024, SSRS conducted two waves of follow-up qualitative interviews in October 2024 and February 2025 to understand any short- and long-term impacts losing the ACP stipend had on household internet access and finances.

Challenge

The end of the ACP had the potential to significantly impact households who relied on the stipend to access and afford internet connectivity. Would they no longer be able to afford home broadband? Would they need to cut back on other household expenses to make up for the loss of the ACP stipend?

The expectation was that at least some ACP households would struggle to afford internet access either immediately or over time as they shopped around for more affordable plans and looked for ways to cut back on other household spending.  A key challenge for the project was to capture both immediate and longer term impact of the end of the ACP among the lowest income households who may feel more of a financial impact from the loss of the stipend, among households in rural areas who may not have as many alternatives for internet providers, and among households with children who may have extra needs for bandwidth.

Approach

In this mixed-method study, SSRS conducted online surveys with n=2,525 individuals with household incomes of less than $50,000. Participants were sampled from the SSRS Opinion Panel, which consists of a probability-based panel of nearly 50,000 U.S. adults. During the survey, respondents were asked if they would be open to being recontacted by SSRS researchers for in-depth interviews. SSRS identified a subsample of those who had been receiving the ACP discount and consented to be recontacted, with a focus on the lowest income households, those living in rural areas, and those with children in the household.

Approximately six months after the ACP ended, SSRS conducted qualitative follow-up phone interviews with 25 of these respondents to assess the impact of the subsidy loss on their household’s internet access and on their financial situation.  To explore the longer-term impact, SSRS recontacted 20 of these respondents approximately nine months after the program ended for a final qualitative interview to assess how households were faring. The qualitative follow-up was designed to check in twice with the same individuals six and nine months after the program ended to capture impacts that might not become apparent immediately, as households tried to manage a higher monthly bill or shopped for new plans or providers.

Results

This mixed-method approach provided the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society with valuable insights into the short- and longer-term impacts of the ending of the Affordable Connectivity Program on its participants. By combining a probability-based quantitative survey with two waves of follow-up in depth interviews, this study demonstrates the power of the SSRS Opinion Panel for exploring the impact of policy changes on specific populations.