NATCO Participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program

We are working to help build awareness about the Affordable Connectivity Program, a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program. The new long-term benefit will help to lower the cost of broadband service for eligible households struggling to afford internet service.

NATCO's participation in the $14 billion Affordable Connectivity Program provides a discount of up to a $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households. The ACP discount can be combined with the FCC's Lifeline discount for a total of up to $39.25 off any of NATCO's broadband services.

A household is eligible if one member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:

• Has an income that is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines;
• Participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC, or Lifeline;
• Participates in one of several Tribal specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal Head Start (only households meeting the relevant income qualifying standard) Tribal TANF, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations;
• Is approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision;
• Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year; or
• Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating broadband provider's existing low-income program.

Flippin Public Schools, one of the four districts in NATCO's service area, participates in the USDA community Eligibility Provision, which provides free school breakfast and lunch to all students. Any student enrolled in Flippin Public Schools qualifies their household for the $30 ACP benefit.

Affordable Connectivity Program enrollment opened on December 31, 2021. Eligible households can enroll by first going to ACPBenefit.org to submit an online application or print a mail-in application, and then by contacting NATCO and selecting a plan. Additional information about the Emergency Broadband Benefit is available at www.fcc.gov/ACP, or by calling 877-384-2575 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET any day of the week.