The Affordable Connectivity Program in Florida ended on June 1, 2024, when federal funding ran out, and nearly 1.71 million enrolled households across the state lost the monthly internet discount it provided. Florida has not created a state-funded replacement. If you relied on the ACP, the help still available comes from the federal Lifeline program and from discounted plans offered directly by internet providers.
When the Program Ended and What That Meant for Your Bill
The Federal Communications Commission stopped accepting new ACP applications on February 8, 2024, after determining the program’s $14.2 billion appropriation was nearly exhausted.1Federal Communications Commission. Affordable Connectivity Program Consumer FAQ April 2024 was the last month enrolled households received the full discount of up to $30 per month, or up to $75 per month on qualifying Tribal lands. Some providers offered a partial discount in May, and the program officially closed on June 1, 2024.2Federal Communications Commission. Affordable Connectivity Program
Internet providers were required to send three rounds of written notice before shutting the discount off, so most households saw the change coming on their bills. Since June 2024, former ACP subscribers have paid their provider’s full standard rate unless they switched to a low-cost plan.
Why Florida Does Not Have a Replacement Program
Several states introduced legislation to create their own broadband affordability programs after the ACP ended, and at least seven adopted resolutions urging Congress to restore funding. Florida did not do either.3National Conference of State Legislatures. Without Federal Program, What’s the Outlook for Affordable Broadband
The Florida Office of Broadband runs several large programs, but they are aimed at infrastructure, not monthly bills. The Broadband Infrastructure Program ($247.7 million), Multi-Purpose Community Facilities program ($86.9 million), and Digital Connectivity Technology Program ($13 million) fund physical buildout in unserved areas and equipment for community facilities.4Florida Office of Broadband. Capital Projects Fund Programs Florida has also received roughly $1.17 billion through the federal BEAD program to extend service to 73,944 eligible locations, with final approval granted by the NTIA in early January 2026.5Office of Congressman Neal Dunn. Florida BEAD Program Allocation Announcement None of this money reduces the monthly bill of a household that already has service available but cannot afford it.
At the federal level, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has not proposed a concrete successor to the ACP. At a November 2025 policy summit, Carr called the Universal Service Fund a “legacy program” and said he would defer to Congress on reform, noting the FCC has “limited authority” to change how the fund collects revenue.6Broadband Breakfast. FCC Chair Offers Few Specifics on Universal Service Reforms
Lifeline: The Federal Program That Is Still Running
Lifeline is the longest-running federal communications subsidy and is available to eligible Florida households. It provides a discount of up to $9.25 per month on qualifying phone, internet, or bundled services.7Federal Communications Commission. Lifeline Program for Low-Income Consumers
You qualify if your household income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if a household member participates in SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, or Veterans Pension Benefits. Only one Lifeline benefit is allowed per household, and you must recertify your eligibility every year.
Lifeline’s $9.25 is well below the ACP’s $30 monthly discount. For a household that depended on the ACP to make broadband affordable, Lifeline alone may not fully close the gap, which is why the ISP-sponsored plans below often matter more in practice.
Low-Cost Internet Plans From Providers Serving Florida
Several major providers that operate in Florida offer discounted plans for low-income households. Availability depends on whether the provider serves your address, and most plans require that you be a new customer or not currently subscribed to the provider’s standard service.
Xfinity Internet Essentials
$14.95 per month for speeds up to 75 Mbps, or $29.95 per month for Internet Essentials Plus at up to 100 Mbps. You qualify by participating in SNAP, Medicaid, the National School Lunch Program, or housing assistance, or by having household income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. New customers only.8Xfinity. Internet Essentials
Access from AT&T
$30 per month for speeds up to 100 Mbps, with no equipment fees, deposits, or annual contracts. Eligible fiber customers can save $20 per month on faster plans. Qualification is based on participation in SNAP, SSI, Medicaid, TANF, and related programs, or household income below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.9AT&T. Access from AT&T
Spectrum Internet Assist
$25 per month for 50 Mbps service, or $15 per month for households receiving NSLP, CEP, or SSI benefits. No data caps and no contract.10Spectrum. Spectrum Internet Assist
T-Mobile Project 10Million
A free mobile hotspot and 200 GB of data per year for five years, available to K-12 students whose families participate in SNAP, the National School Lunch Program, Medicaid, or related programs. This is a student connectivity option, not a full home internet replacement.11T-Mobile. Project 10Million
A Note on Florida-Based Provider Fraud
Some of the largest enforcement actions tied to federal low-income communications subsidies have come out of Florida, and former subscribers of certain providers may have heard about them in the news.
The biggest case involved Q Link Wireless, based in Dania Beach, and its owner Issa Asad. In October 2024, both pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud, steal government funds, and defraud the United States; Asad also pleaded guilty to money laundering. The scheme centered on the Lifeline program, included submitting false reimbursement claims for inactive subscribers, and ran from 2012 to at least 2021. Asad admitted to transferring more than $50 million in Lifeline funds to bank accounts he and his family controlled in Jordan.12Internal Revenue Service. South Florida Telecom Company and Its CEO Pay $128 Million and CEO Is Sentenced to 5 Years On July 24, 2025, Asad was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, with total restitution and forfeiture exceeding $128 million.13U.S. Department of Justice. Q Link Wireless LLC and Issa Asad Pay More Than $110M in Global Resolution The FCC permanently debarred Asad from Lifeline and all other FCC-administered programs in December 2025.14GovInfo. FCC Enforcement Bureau Debarment Notice – Issa Asad and Q Link Wireless
In a separate case, K20 Wireless CEO Krandon Wenger pleaded guilty in June 2026 to two counts of wire fraud for submitting false Tribal-land addresses to the ACP in 2022 in order to collect the higher $75-per-month reimbursement rate. The scheme defrauded the government of more than $741,000, and the FCC had previously barred the company from the ACP.15Communications Daily. Wireless CEO Pleads Guilty to Defrauding ACP
If your service was with one of these providers, your options going forward are the same as every other former ACP household in Florida: check Lifeline eligibility, and compare the low-cost plans from providers that serve your address.