Verizon pledges free Internet for six months as ACP dies

Verizon said it will offer a discount to its "Verizon Forward" subscribers that will effectively make their Internet services free during a six-month promotional period.

The company's offer arrives as the US government's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) appears headed for the cemetery. Although debate continues in Congress on whether to continue funding the program, it is scheduled to run out of cash next month. As that deadline looms, odds are falling that legislators will step in to save the program.

"Funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which has helped nearly 23 million households across the nation connect to the internet, is expected to end soon. However, Verizon's commitment to keeping families connected will continue," Verizon wrote in a release.

The details

Verizon introduced its "Verizon Forward" program in 2020. Like the ACP program, Verizon Forward is available to customers on the US government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other low-income programs. Verizon Forward provides Verizon Fios, 5G Home or LTE Home Internet services at a reduced price.

Verizon Forward can lower customers' prices to around $20 per month. But the operator announced Monday a limited-time offer that will bring down the cost of subscribers' home Internet to $0 per month for six months. That promotional offer will end in September.

Verizon Forward services provide 300 Mbit/s speeds and do not have usage caps.

As for Verizon's mobile services, the company said its Verizon Value prepaid business – which includes brands like Straight Talk and Total by Verizon – will offer the full ACP credit of $30 for the month of May as the government program winds down. The company said it will continue to support the government's Lifeline program – another program for low-income Americans that provides around $10 per month – through its SafeLink brand. 

The background

April is the last month the ACP will be fully available for its 23 million enrolled households. Congress neglected to include ACP extension funding in its recent spending package.

Roughly 1.2 million Verizon prepaid mobile customers subscribe to the program.

Many other US broadband operators are offering their own remedies should the ACP go away. AT&T, for example, announced last week that it will continue to offer "Access from AT&T," a plan that provides symmetrical speeds of 100 Mbit/s and Wi-Fi access for $30 per month.

And Comcast outlined several options should the program run out of funding and effectively shut down at the end of next month. For example, Comcast will continue to offer Internet Essentials, a program launched back in 2011 as a commitment tied to its NBCU acquisition. That program offers 50 Mbit/s services for around $10 per month.