EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) — Governor Tom Wolf is encouraging low-income Pennsylvanians to sign up for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to help save money on internet service.

The ACP is designed to help save money on expanded broadband internet access. Administered through the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and local internet providers, the program provides recipients with a discount of up to $30 per month as well as a one time $100 discount towards the purchase of a laptop, desktop, or tablet from participating providers.

“The Affordable Connectivity Program is another opportunity to help us close the digital divide so that all Pennsylvanians can have internet service. The need for reliable, at-home internet service is essential and this program aids more households in accessing the online resources they need for work, school and health care. I urge all eligible Pennsylvanians to apply for this program today,” explained Gov. Wolf.

In order to qualify for the program, households must meet one of the following:

  • Income at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines. For example, for single member households this amount is $27,180 and for a family of four this amount is $55,500.
  • Participation in one of several federal assistance programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, or SSI.
  • Recipient of a Pell grant in the current calendar year.
  • Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider`s existing low-income program.

“More than two million households in Pennsylvania are eligible but only 24%, approximately 490,000, are currently enrolled in the program. DCED joins Gov. Wolf in working to ensure that every eligible Pennsylvanian participates in the ACP and knows how to apply,” said Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Acting Secretary Neil Weaver.

Anyone interested in applying for the program should complete the following two steps.

  1. Visit AffordableConnectivity.gov to apply or print out and mail in a completed application.
  2. After completing an application, contact a participating internet provider to select a plan and apply the discout to the bill.

Note that some internet providers may require a second application, and that the ACP is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.