February 20th, 2024

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) will be ending. Without additional funding from Congress, the allotted $14.2 billion to fund the ACP is projected to run out in April 2024. As a result, the FCC has begun taking steps to wind down the ACP, which means:

• ACP applications and enrollments will not be processed after February 7, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time).
• Households who have applied, been approved, and are receiving the monthly internet discount before February 8, 2024 will continue to receive their ACP benefit until ACP funds run out, as long as the household remains enrolled in the program.
• After the ACP funds run out (projected in April 2024), households participating in the ACP will no longer receive the ACP discounts.

What this means for current ACP Customers: Your Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom internet account receives a $30.00 monthly credit for ACP. When the ACP funding ends, your account will have the ACP credit removed and the amount invoiced to you will increase by $30.00. Please note, your service will remain at the existing service level at the full undiscounted price when the ACP credit is no longer available. If you do not wish to receive internet service after the end of ACP or would like to change your service plan, please contact or Customer Service Department at 800-496-3391 to discuss your options.

What is the future of ACP: Congressional lawmakers have jointly proposed new funding that could keep the ACP credit in place for the nearly 23 million households receiving the benefit. If the proposed funding is approved, the ACP credit will continue. For additional information regarding the ACP, please go to fcc.gov/acp.

Apply for other assistance programs: If you do not already participate in Lifeline, we encourage you to apply. The Lifeline Program is another federal program that makes phone and internet service more affordable. If you qualify for Lifeline, you can get a monthly benefit of up to $15.70 (state and federal benefit combined) off the cost of phone, internet, or bundled services. For more information, visit getinternet.gov.

We realize the importance of ensuring that all households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare, and more. We will continue to keep you informed on the status of ACP as information becomes available. If you would like additional information, please visit our website at www.wcvt.com/assistance.