Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - More access to affordable broadband Internet is on its way to the Buffalo region and Western New York.
Congressman Brian Higgins, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Filmore District Councilman Mitch Nowakowski were on-hand at the King Urban Life Center on Friday afternoon to announce efforts to expand and improve accessibility to broadband Internet for families with the Affordable Connectivity Program.
"I'm a child of the '90s, so then the Internet was a luxury. It was an amenity. For children now growing up, it's a necessity in order to advance themselves in their homes, in their lives and in school," said Nowakowski.
The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC program that helps connect families and households struggling to afford Internet service.
As part of the new federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Law, the Affordable Connectivity Program will provide up to $30 in savings on monthly Internet bills for a large number of households in Western New York. Households on qualifying Tribal lands are eligible for up to $75 per-month in savings.
This program will also include a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet or desktop computer to eligible households if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.
"The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Law provided $65 billion for broadband build out projects and accessibility programs. Included in that amount is $14.2 billion for the Affordable Connectivity Program," as Congressman Higgins elaborated. "Households must meet just one of several criteria to be eligible to receive the discount. We want to stress that many residents in Western New York will qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program."
In order to qualify for the program, a household must meet any one of the following criteria:
- An income at or below 200% of poverty guidelines
- Participates in assistance programs like SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Association, SSI, WIC or Lifeline
- Participates in Tribal specific programs
- Approved to receive benefits under the free or reduced lunch or breakfast program including through schools that participate in the Community Eligibility Provision
- Has received a Federal Pell grant during the current award year
Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income program
A large percentage of households in the Buffalo region and Erie County will qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program. This includes many, if not all families with children in the following school districts:
- Buffalo
- Cheektowaga
- Cheektowaga-Sloan
- Cleveland Hill
- Ken-Ton
- Lackawanna
- Lockport
- Maryvale
- Niagara Falls
- Niagara-Wheatfield
- Sweet Home
- Tonawanda
- West Seneca
"Just because it's available doesn't mean people can afford it. We know, especially after everything that's happened with the pandemic, that if you don't have high speed broadband coverage in your home, you are being left behind," said County Executive Poloncarz on Friday. "Whether it was issues associated with virtual learning for children or, of course, associated with business, because we've all done so many Zooms in WebExs we don't ever want to see another one if we can avoid it. But if you don't have high speed broadband, you can't connect to that Zoom, WebEx or other types of meeting because you don't have the availability to do it in your home."
To enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program, you can go to ACPBenefit.org and submit an application. You can also learn more about the program by dialing 1-(877)-384-2575.
In addition, extra efforts are being made to expand broadband access in the region with the ErieNET plan, which will use federal funding provided through the American Rescue Plan to build out a broadband backbone to improve Internet service in underserved areas in Erie County. Construction is expected to begin there in June of 2022.
