What Is the Affordable Connectivity Program?

Max McCaskill Sr. Staff Writer

Updated 06 April 2026

Contents

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What was the Affordable Connectivity Program?
Previous eligibility requirements
Former ACP wireless carriers
Former ACP internet providers

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was a government program designed to help low-income Americans get access to internet and phone service. Individuals who met the eligibility requirements could get a $30/month discount on one of these services. The ACP partnered with carriers and internet service providers you already know and love to offer discounted rates on some of their cheaper plans.

As of February 8, 2024, the FCC froze all new enrollments in the ACP. It is unclear whether the program will have its funding renewed and resume service for low-income families.

We'll walk you through the details of how the ACP previously offered free and discounted phone and internet service.

Important update to the Affordable Connectivity Program

As of February 8, 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has frozen all new enrollments in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) due to a lack of Congressional funding. If your application was not accepted by February 7th, 2024, you are no longer eligible to receive discounted benefits.

Should Congress not renew funding for the ACP, the program will cease entirely by the end of April 2024. If you are currently participating in the ACP, you should receive written notice from your phone and/or internet provider with details on when your bills will increase.

For more details, visit the FCC's notice on the ACP wind-down.

What was the Affordable Connectivity Program?

The Affordable Connectivity Program was a government program for low-income families. It was designed to provide discounts on internet or wireless service. The program provided a $30/month discount on one of these services. Only one discount was allowed for each customer, so you couldn't get a discount on both internet and wireless service.

The ACP also provided a device stipend for laptops to use with internet plans. You might have been able to get a $100 discount or a free laptop, but not everyone was eligible for this perk.

Affordable Connectivity Program vs. Lifeline Program

You’ve probably also heard of the Lifeline Program, which is another federal program specifically targeted toward free phone plans. While these programs are related, they are not the same.

The Lifeline Program provides free wireless services and devices through government-contracted carriers. To qualify, you must be on government assistance or have a family income that is less than 135% of the federal poverty guidelines.

The Affordable Connectivity Program was eligible for either wireless or internet service. It used regular carriers, not government-contracted ones. The biggest difference was that the ACP provided a $30/month discount on your service while the Lifeline Program is free. If you picked a plan that costs more than $30/month on the ACP, you were responsible for paying the difference.

Previous eligibility requirements for the Affordable Connectivity Program

To qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program, your household must have been at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. For a one-person household in most states, that means making below $29,160 per year.

You may have also qualified if your household was already on a government assistance program like:

SNAP
Medicaid
SSI
Federal Housing Assistance
Free and reduced-price school lunches

Most families living on tribal lands were also eligible. There are a few other programs that grant eligibility, so make sure to check the full list.

Former ACP wireless carriers

Many popular carriers previously offered plans through the Affordable Connectivity Program. Even though the program no longer accepts applications, you can still get very affordable phone plans through carriers that previously participated in the ACP. Here are five carriers and plan options.

Cheap phone plans through previous ACP carriers

Carrier	Plan
Gen Mobile	Unlimited Talk, Text & 15GB Data	View Plan
Twigby Mobile	Unlimited Talk, Text & 10GB Data	View Plan
Boost Mobile	Unlimited 5G/4G LTE Data, Talk, & Text	View Plan
Red Pocket	$30 Premium Plan	View Plan
Good2Go Mobile	5GB Data 1-Month Plan	View Plan

Gen Mobile

Gen Mobile is an MVNO that operates on T-Mobile's network. Its Unlimited Talk, Text & 15GB Data plan includes 15GB of high-speed data and comes with a 10GB mobile hotspot. You also get unlimited calling to over 100 international destinations. It comes with a hard data limit, so if you use up your 15GB you must either purchase additional data or wait until the next month.

Carrier	Gen Mobile
Data	15GB Data
Type	No Contract
Current Deal	Get up to 15% off when you purchase a 3-month plan + Waived Activation Fee on any 3-month plan.
Total Price	$27 per month $81 advance payment for 3 months (equals to $27/month)
	View Details

5 Phones Available

Twigby Mobile

Twigby Mobile uses the powerful Verizon network. The Unlimited Talk, Text & 10GB Data plan starts at $10/month, then jumps to $25/month after three months. This plan includes 10GB of high-speed data, but if you exceed that allotment you'll remain connected with unlimited data at 2G speeds. Like the Gen Mobile plan, you can use part of your data to operate a mobile hotspot.

Carrier	Twigby Mobile
Data	10GB Data
Type	No Contract
Current Deal	New Customers get 10GB of data for $15 a month for 3 months!
Total Price	$15 per month for the first 3 months then $25.00/month
	View Plan

6 Phones Available

Boost Mobile

Boost Mobile is a T-Mobile MVNO, so it has access to the largest 5G network in the nation. The Unlimited 5G/4G LTE Data, Talk, & Text plan costs just $25/month for new customers and includes 30GB of high-speed data, after which you can rely on 3G speeds. The plan also comes with hotspot access, but no dedicated hotspot data. Instead, hotspot usage is deducted from your 30GB high-speed limit.

Carrier	Boost Mobile
Data	Unlimited Data
Type	No Contract
Current Deal	Get this Unlimited plan for only $10/mo. for the first 3 months of service with Boost Mobile!
Total Price	$10 per month with AutoPay
	View Details

40 Phones Available

Red Pocket

Red Pocket provides service on the Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T networks. Which network you use depends on which service is strongest in your area. Its cheapest plan is just $10/month for a small 3GB of data, but we like the $30 Premium plan. It comes with unlimited talk, text, and 50GB of premium data. If you use up your data allotment, your data is slowed for the remainder of the month. You can use part of your high-speed data with a mobile hotspot.

Carrier	Red Pocket
Data	Unlimited Data
Type	No Contract
Current Deal	Get 50% off your first month of service with this monthly plan. New customer only.
Total Price	$30 per month
	View Plan

23 Phones Available

Good2Go Mobile

Good2Go Mobile operates on both the AT&T and T-Mobile networks. Its best cheap option is the 5GB Data 1-Month plan for $25/month. As the name suggests, it gives 5GB of high-speed data per month. Good2Go is a pretty basic carrier, so you don’t get extra perks like a mobile hotspot or international calling. That said, if you just need a data plan, it’s a solid option.

Carrier	Good2Go Mobile
Data	5GB Data
Type	No Contract
Current Deal	Get this plan 50% off when you switch to Good2Go. New customers only.
Total Price	$12.50 per month with AutoPay
	View Details

Previous Affordable Connectivity Program internet providers

The Affordable Connectivity Program also applied to internet plans. Again, new enrollments have ended, but below are some affordable internet plan options through ISPs that participated in the ACP.

Affordable internet plans from previous ACP participants

Provider	Plan	Download speed	Connection type
Xfinity	Internet Essentials	75Mbps	Cable	View Plan
Spectrum	Internet 100	100Mbps	Cable	View Plan
Verizon	5G Home	300Mbps	Wireless 5G	View Plan

What internet speeds do I need?

We recommend households have a plan that offers somewhere between 25-100Mbps download speed. That’s enough speed to offer a solid browsing experience. All of the listed ACP plans either meet or exceed those guidelines.

You can check out our internet speed guide if you want more information.

Xfinity Internet Essentials

The Internet Essentials plan is Xfinity’s ACP option. It’s a cable connection that offers download speeds of 75Mbps and upload speeds of 10Mbps. For families who just use their internet for browsing and a little bit of streaming, all of this will be plenty.

Spectrum Internet 100

Spectrum's Internet 100 plan is a cable connection that includes download speeds up to 100Mbps and a 6Mbps upload speed. There is no data cap included with this plan.

Verizon 5G Home internet

In lieu of participation in the ACP, an option for cheap mobile broadband home internet is through the Verizon Forward program. This extra program grants an additional discount that makes its cheapest Verizon Fios and 5G Home internet plans free. We’re specifically highlighting the 5G Home internet options since it is more available overall.

Verizon’s 5G Home internet offers download speeds of up to 300Mbps and download speeds of 10Mbps. Wireless 5G internet runs on cell phone towers, so speeds can be inconsistent if you don’t live near a Verizon 5G tower. That said, Verizon is constantly expanding and improving 5G service, so it can only improve with time.

Provider	Verizon
Speed	Up to 100 Mbps
Data	Unlimited
Connection	Mobile Broadband
Type	No Term Contract
Total Price	$50 per month with AutoPay
	View Plan

Max McCaskill

Sr. Staff Writer

Max is a Senior Staff Writer at WhistleOut, specializing in mobile plans, operating systems, and carrier news. He regularly tests and reviews dozens of phone plans firsthand, evaluating real-world data speeds, coverage reliability, and plan features. He's been featured in publications such as Yahoo Finance, AARP, AP News, and GoBankingRates.

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