To help Americans afford broadband and internet during a time when having such services is essential, Q Link Wireless, one of America’s largest federal Lifeline service providers, is participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
The ACP modifies and extends the 2021 COVID-19 effort, the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB). The EBB was created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in May, 2021, and helped low-income American households pay for broadband service and certain connected devices.
The EBB needed a long-term solution, so the FCC permanently replaced it with the newer and updated ACP. The ACP began on Dec. 31, 2021, and will continue assisting low-income American households with broadband service for years to come.
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How Will the ACP’s Benefits Be Given to Subscribers?
The ACP retains the basic structure of the EBB, with some changes in the benefit amount and qualifying eligibility programs. With the ACP, households receive a $30 monthly d******* on broadband services. Tribal lands households receive a $75 monthly d*******.
The ACP’s benefits will be allocated in the same way the EBB’s benefits were. Some companies applied the d******* to customers’ bills. Others, like Q Link Wireless, increased their current customers’ service plan.
Q Link Wireless is an approved provider of Lifeline Assistance, which is a program created in the 1980s to provide basic affordable communication services to eligible Americans. The company became a Lifeline provider in 2012, and has offered free cell phone service since then.
With both Lifeline and the EBB programs, Q Link Wireless boosted their offering in 2021 to include free unlimited talk, text, and data on their upgraded 4G LTE/5G nationwide network. The company also offered a new tablet for EBB subscribers in 2021.
Q Link Wireless will continue to offer the same benefits to all ACP subscribers: free unlimited data, talk, and text, plus a new tablet with webcam, microphone, and Wi-Fi capability for a small co-pay of $10.01.
Why Is the ACP Important for Americans?
Reliable broadband and internet services is necessary for American homes to participate in virtual meetings for work or school, access telehealth appointments and services, contact loved ones, and more.
Q Link Wireless CEO, Issa Asad, said that the ACP is going to allow their company “to provide eligible Americans with high-speed data at n****** for as long as we can.”
“The ACP will help bridge the gap between Americans who have highspeed broadband access, and those who don’t because they belong in an underserved community like the poor, rural, or elderly,” said Asad.
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How Do You Qualify for the ACP?
Households may qualify if one person participates in a government benefit program such as Medicaid, Food Stamps, Supplemental Security Income, Lifeline Assistance, and more.
Income eligibility requirements were broadened for the ACP. Households may qualify for the ACP if their income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. The EBB income eligibility was set lower at 135% of the federal poverty guidelines.
“The ACP is a program that extends to even more qualified households, and will allow us to provide unlimited service for even more Americans,” said Asad.
When Will Q Link Wireless Begin Offering the ACP?
Q Link Wireless began offering the ACP to a****** customers on the program’s start date, Dec. 31, 2021. A****** subscribers from this point on will be automatically enrolled in the ACP and will not have a transition period.
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The FCC gave a 60-day deadline for all companies to transition their EBB customers to the ACP. This transition period began on Dec. 31, 2021 and will end on March 1, 2022.
Q Link Wireless will transition their current customers enrolled in the EBB to the ACP during the 60-day period. During the transition period, all households that signed up for the EBB will continue receiving their benefits with no service interruptions.
“Q Link Wireless is dedicated to keeping our current subscribers seamlessly connected. We will keep customers our priority throughout the entire shift from the EBB to the ACP,” said Asad.
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