AARP Hearing Center
When the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) ended in April 2024, a well-known financial juggling act ensued.
Low-income recipients, now left to pay for their internet services without assistance from the federal program, shuffled payments, negotiated discounts, haggled, and stretched their limited financial resources to remain connected, a recent AARP study showed.
Using interviews, in-home observations, and video diaries to understand how people adapted once the $30 monthly benefit disappeared, the study highlighted how former ACP recipients reacted to the loss of help with a utility that has become commonplace in nearly every societal activity. Researchers conducted interviews with a dozen former ACP recipients age 50-plus, including six who were interviewed in 2023.
Staying Connected After Loss of the ACP Program
The federal ACP was program designed to help low-income households afford internet service and a connected device. It offered a monthly discount on internet service and a one-time discount on a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer. When it ended, people didn’t give up their internet. It was too ingrained in their lives. But they did have to find a way to pay for it.
The study found that internet access has become deeply embedded in daily life. Participants described it as critical for everything from health and caregiving tasks to education, money making and savings, and maintaining social ties.
Faced with having to cover the full financial cost of having internet access, people fought to pay for it. Some tried doing without. Two participants initially canceled their service, but soon realized it wasn’t sustainable, and they reconnected. Argy compared internet service to running water or electricity: “It’s just a necessity now,” he said.
The researchers heard the clear need to maintain internet connectivity.
“I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have it,” said Mary, one of the study participants. “Every bit of my activities every day revolve around using the internet.” Lori, another participant, said it wasn’t an option to turn it off. “It’s like waking up and brushing your teeth and taking a shower. We have gotten accustomed to having it.”
While the monthly cost increase was a burden, participants said losing the internet would have made life even harder. Society is too connected to go without it, and there are things that can’t be done without the internet.
Loss of Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
Key Internet Uses That Power Daily Life
While the specifics of the financial juggling act weren’t always clear, the use of the internet to support participants' daily lives was very clear. Internet connectivity plays a vital role helping with essential tasks like banking, money management, bill paying, job applications and gig work, healthcare tasks and appointments, information seeking, communication, education, social connection, shopping and entertainment.
It is also especially important to those with limited mobility and financial resources. “It’s nice to just be able to sit here and shop and compare instead of running up and down the aisles or running people over with the wheelchair,” explained Marci, one of the 12 participants. Argy said “On the internet, I can see what things cost. Financially, I would be hurt [without it], because I would be paying more for things.”
Many explained how the internet allows them to keep up with their financial juggling act. It’s a tool for checking what bills are due, negotiating payments, monitoring their money and staying up-to-date on any resources available.
For many, the internet makes caregiving tasks such as ordering medical supplies, managing patient portals and communicating with health aides easier.
Internet Use and Daily Life
Secondary Value Provided by Internet Access
For many participants, internet access helps them stay engaged, organized, and purposeful. Study participants shared that staying online helps them feel less isolated and more engaged with their families, communities, and cultural identities. Dyanne checks in on her college-age children using Life360, while her in-laws stay connected to their Korean heritage through YouTube videos. Wyolanda maintains close ties with fellow survivors she met during breast cancer treatment.
Additionally, many described how emails and online tools served as “to-do” lists and modern filing cabinets, helping them stay organized. One participant noted that job searching didn’t require as much travel or gas money anymore.
Overall, older adults saw the internet as a place where they should be cautious, but were not afraid and access to the internet was more than a convenience, it is a necessity.
Additional Value Provided by Access to the Internet
Methodology
For the study, researchers gathered firsthand information and observations from a dozen former ACP enrollees concerning their experiences with the internet. The fieldwork was done in the homes of participants living in nine different states between May 2025 and June 2025.
For more information, please contact Brittne Kakulla at bkakulla@aarp.org. For media inquiries, please contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.
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