Access to high-speed internet plays an increasingly significant role in today’s modern, digital world.  It fuels daily life, enabling healthcare access, communication with loved ones, online learning and more. However, internet access is still out of reach for too many states across the U.S. North Carolina is one of these states, home to around 500,000 households who are either underserved or completely disconnected from internet access. 

At The National Grange, our mission over the last 150 years has not faltered – it is to help make a difference in the lives of children, youth, families, and individuals. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is making a difference every day, yet its funding is at risk of running out if not replenished. If Congress does not establish a funding mechanism for the ACP, almost one million North Carolinians will return to the wrong side of the digital divide.

Born from President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the ACP, a broadband only subsidy, provides up to $30 a month, or up to $75 on tribal lands for each household’s monthly internet bill; as of December 11th, over 880k North Carolina households have enrolled, receiving the benefits of this life changing program. 

Following overwhelming support for the program from political leaders, non-profits, community organizations, ISPs and more, President Biden requested additional funding from Congress to support the ACP through 2024. The White House stated, “without this funding, tens of millions of people would lose this benefit and would no longer be able to afford high-speed internet service without sacrificing other necessities.” 

The internet has proved to be the backbone of today’s society, fueling the economy, increasing job opportunities, and most importantly expanding access to healthcare. In fact, according to Debra Farrington, Chief Health Equity Officer for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, “high-speed internet connects rural North Carolinians to health care professionals for telemedicine visits, deaf and hard of hearing people to critical communications tools and services, and underserved communities to services.” 

For rural North Carolinians, it is no surprise that they are often isolated from health facilities, also known as health care deserts. In fact, it was reported in 2020 that since 2010, 120 rural hospitals had shut down, leaving many families to travel greater distances, or lose healthcare access all together. The ACP answered the call from millions of rural dwelling families in need, and is ultimately helping establish better health outcomes across the state. 

As the state or territory with the second largest rural population, home to over 3.4 million dwellers, rural North Carolinians are awaiting network infrastructure build out funded by the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment Program (BEAD), also included in the IIJA. In conjunction with the ACP, BEAD funding will help bridge the gap these communities have dealt with for years. However, if Congress fails to support the needs of millions of Americans, allowing ACP funding to run dry, the BEAD program will also fall to the wayside. Without households being able to afford internet access, the networks Congress worked hard to fund and deploy will be useless. 

The ACP is more than just a broadband subsidy, it is a lifeline for over 22 million households and climbing. Without it, rural Americans will once again face the challenges of living in healthcare deserts and the daily challenges that come with it. As the New Year approaches and state BEAD proposals are sent to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Congress must act to support ACP extension. 

Jimmy Gentry is president of the North Carolina State Grange