To the editor: 

In about one year it is projected that a pivotal federal broadband program, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), will run out of funding, hurting not only the nearly 1 million Ohio households that currently depend on the program to stay connected, but also rural households here in Columbiana County that will rely upon the ACP’s existence to spur broadband infrastructure investment in areas that still lack access.

The ACP plays a critical role in our state’s efforts to close the digital divide and get more folks online, it’s why Governor DeWine has pointed to the program in this year’s Ohio Broadband Strategy while also touting how our state led all states in the nation in terms of ACP uptake. If the ACP were to expire, nearly 1 million households that rely on the program would be at risk of losing their connection and all of the resources that come with it, like remote learning, telehealth, and online communications.

But the ACP is also needed for the broadband infrastructure expansion areas like Columbiana County require. One report estimated that nearly 1-in-4 houses in the county lack access to broadband speeds. As the federal government begins to allocate funding for its BEAD program, which is aimed at expanding broadband infrastructure to rural, unserved areas, the ACP will be needed to ensure we don’t run out of funding before rural residents get the access they need. A recent study reflected this, estimating that ACP reduced the subsidy needed to incentivize providers to build in rural areas by 25% per household.

It will be incumbent on our leaders in Congress to extend this invaluable program’s funding — both because of what the ACP has already done to get Ohioans online, as well as the future impact it will have on delivering broadband for rural households.

John Morrow,

Wellsville