Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is now the Affordable Connectivity Program

December 2021: Important Update Regarding the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

Congress recently created the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a new long-term, $14 billion program, which will replace the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program.

ACP will launch on December 31, 2021. Households enrolled in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program as of December 31, 2021 will continue to receive their current monthly benefit until March 1, 2022.

After the transition period, the monthly benefit will remain up to a $75 per month discount on internet service for eligible households on qualifying Tribal lands. Subscribers will have the option to switch service offerings at any time. Additional information will be provided to subscribers if they are required to requalify for the ACP benefit after the transition period ends.

What’s Changing?

• Households will have new ways to qualify for the ACP benefit such as: receiving WIC benefits or having an income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
• Households that qualified for the EBB program due to a substantial loss of income, due to job loss or furlough since February 29, 2020, or by meeting the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s COVID-19 program will need to requalify for the ACP. These households will receive additional details about the steps they need to take from the program administrator (USAC) or their broadband provider, in January 2022, and will be given at least 30 days to respond. They will continue to receive their full EBB benefit until March 1, 2022.

More information about actions current EBB recipients will need to take to continue receiving the ACP benefit after the transition period will be available in the coming weeks. Please stay tuned for additional updates.

Affordable Connectivity Program

TelAlaska is an approved participant in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) program through our affiliates, Interior and Mukluk Telephone. ACP is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program that provides a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills for qualifying low-income households. If you reside in a TelAlaska serving area, your household is on Tribal lands and you could be eligible to receive up to a $75/month discount on your internet service. Only one monthly service discount is allowed per household.

To determine if your household is eligible, please visit acpbenefit.org/do-i-qualify.

To apply, please follow the steps below. If you are currently enrolled in the Lifeline program, you do not have to verify your eligibility again; please skip to #3.

1. The ACP Online Portal will be available on December 31, 2021. To apply, please visit acpbenefit.org/how-to-apply/. Complete the online application with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) or print an application and mail it to the the address listed. *Important note for TelAlaska customers: on the application, please be sure to check the box for Tribal Lands in order to receive the maximum benefit for Alaska internet customers.
2. After you submit an application, USAC will share the results with you. If you apply online, you may receive an immediate approval. If USAC cannot prove your eligibility automatically, they will request additional documentation from you and provide information on how you can submit those documents for review.
3. Once USAC approves your application, please contact TelAlaska at 1-800-478-3127 to complete your enrollment. Before we can apply the discount to an account, TelAlaska will require applicants to fill out the form below, or we can mail you a paper copy.

Additional information on the EBB Program can be found at acpbenefit.org/.

TelAlaska Customer Service

1-800-478-3127

customerservice@telalaska.com