National Lifeline Association has officially published results from its latest survey, which focused on generating deeper insights into life without its Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) for formerly enrolled subscribers.
Going by the available details, this particular survey took into account than 68,000 responses and nearly 30,000 personal testimonies from Lifeline and/or former ACP participants, who shared information regarding themselves and how they use phone and broadband service.
As for the results, they show that Lifeline benefits would fall short of addressing the growing broadband affordability gap, thus forcing respondents to cut budgets in other areas to maintain internet access.
Talk about these results on a slightly deeper level, we begin from how, without the ACP, Americans have had to make tough budget decisions to stay connected to the internet. You see, more than 40% of respondents were literally forced into cutting their food-related expenses just so they could afford their monthly internet bills, whereas on the other hand, an estimated 36% indicated they discontinued telehealth without the ACP.
Beyond that, well over 64% even said that they could not maintain regular contact with friends and family.
“I have read thousands of heartbreaking testimonies from consumers since ACP funding ran out,” said David B. Dorwart, Chairman of the NaLA Board. “Lifeline and the ACP bring affordable internet and phone service to the communities who need it most for everything from telehealth to school to staying connected with loved ones. Lawmakers must refund the ACP and fix the Universal Service Fund’s Lifeline program to ensure all American households have affordable access to essential communications.”
Next up, the newly-published report discovered that ACP’s end also made it difficult for adults to find work, as well as made it harder for students to complete their homework. In a more concrete sense, contingent of 20% respondents reported being unable to work remotely or pick up shift work, and likewise, 20% of children were found to have difficulty completing homework assignments.
Another detail worth a mention here is rooted in how Lifeline and ACP were discovered to help those who actually need it the most. We get to say because 80% of Lifeline/ACP subscribers live at or below the poverty line. Nearly one-third are homeless or live in temporary housing. Over half are older Americans, with the group including who are facing unemployment due to a disability (31%), and are retirees with limited incomes (12%). Without ACP/Lifeline support, 72% would not be able to pay for internet service every month.
Moving on, National Lifeline Association’s survey also discovered that no co-pay plans are actually essential for to keeping low-income Americans connected, as nearly 95% of Lifeline and ACP subscribers said they cannot afford any added payments towards their monthly service. Almost half of all respondents were found to be unbanked altogether.
Then, there is a piece of data, which claims that a majority of survey respondents are using broadband subsidies for critical services like healthcare, education and access to government services. This becomes evident once you consider 70% of consumers rely on their ACP/Lifeline benefits to access healthcare services, including communicating with doctors and telehealth appointments.
Apart from that, over one-third of subscribers are said to be using their ACP or Lifeline-supported devices to connect with their communities, pursue remote work opportunities, access jobs, and participate in online education.
Hold on, we still have a few bits left to unpack, as we still haven’t touched upon the fact that a staggering 78% of respondents said they lacked access to a consistent form of internet or mobile data. In essence, without ACP/Lifeline benefits, 20% of consumers accessed the internet through a family member’s devices, 27% used public libraries and Wi-Fi, while over 31% had no internet access whatsoever.
We also haven’t touched upon the importance of mobile data for low-income consumers. To relay that with numbers, 85% of consumers rely on mobile wireless services to meet their household needs, yet fewer than 15% have access to unlimited data plans. From the ones who do have access, over 80% closely manage their data usage due to budget constraints.
