Eligible recipients now can get LTE, 5G or fiber connections through the new program
Verizon has announced an expansion of free broadband connectivity services for low-income households. The company’s new Verizon Forward Program promises home internet service for qualifying households using 5G, LTE or Fios at no cost. Customers enrolled in the program do not have data caps, contracts, or equipment charges to deal with, either. The company has put the new program under the aegis of its “Citizen Verizon” corporate social responsibility business plan, first announced in 2020.
Verizon noted that the new program taps into resources made available through the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC’s) Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). In April, FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told Congress the program had already reached more than 11 million households across the country. The ACP was originally established as the Emergency Broadband Benefit as part of COVID-19 relief programs, but received $14.2 billion in expanded funding through the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, when it was renamed.
Expanding internet access, especially to rural and historically underserved communities, has been a key initiative of the Biden administration. In May, the administration began to open the $45 billion spigot for nationwide broadband development. That effort, coordinated through the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) happened parallel to the expansion of ACP funds.
The ACP provides monthly discounts of up to $30 per month for Internet service ($75 per month for households on qualifying native lands), and a one-time discount of up to $100 on hardware to connect to the Internet like laptops, desktop computers and tablets. Households eligible for the ACP must be at or below 200% of Federal poverty guidelines, or if household members meet some means-based criteria, such as enrollment in public assistance programs.
While Verizon is leveraging federal ACP money to underwrite its efforts, the company emphasized that its Verizon Forward Program offers free service, not discounted service that may incur other hidden costs through fees or equipment rental charges. Normal prices for Verizon’s FWA range from $25 to $70 a month, depending on service level and type.
In March, Verizon announce Fios Forward, a subsidized program specifically aimed at Verizon customers who live in areas services by the company’s Fios fiber optic Internet services. Fios Forward provided ACP customers with free access, assuming they’re already enrolled in one of Verizon’s Fios Mix & Match plans. The new Verizon Forward Program expands enrollment for customers not services in areas equipped with Fios, but where Verizon can provide Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services using LTE or 5G instead.
Verizon’s chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg called home Internet service “not just nice to have, but a necessity. It is critical that we offer accessible, affordable and usable digital solutions. Income should not be a barrier for reliable connectivity, which is why it’s so important that we provide free Verizon Home Internet to ACP-qualifying customers across the country.”
