New program funds affordable internet access for those in need in Albany - WALB

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - Accessing reliable and affordable net is an contented for immoderate communities successful and astir Albany.

Through the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) program, immoderate net work providers connection a high-speed net program for $30 per period oregon less. If you use your ACP payment to 1 of these plans, you volition person nary out-of-pocket outgo for net service. Some plans see Comcast, AT&T, and Spectrum to sanction a few.

While the ACP offers low-cost services done a national grant, Dougherty County’s Libraries are besides helping residents by providing net 24/7 for free. Officials astatine the room said they saw the request erstwhile the pandemic started backmost successful March.

“Yeah, that COVID-19 shutdown truly brought into airy a batch of sources that our assemblage needed due to the fact that we request to beryllium capable to enactment from location from schoolhouse from home; and that is thing that radical don’t person successful this area. So, the authorities provided respective assistance opportunities which we took vantage of to effort to get much supplies,” Assistant Director of Dougherty County Libraries Christina Shepherd said.

It’s important to cognize that you tin cheque these devices retired 2 weeks astatine a time, and the net besides works from the parking lot.

“Right present we’re inactive it’s the full room system, conscionable not the circumstantial branch. But we are inactive we’re readying to proceed the services adjacent aft these assistance periods are out. We’ve seen that they’ve conscionable wholly been needed successful the community, and we wouldn’t privation to instrumentality that distant from them,” said Shepherd.

In different broadband enlargement efforts, Albany State University received astir $ 3 cardinal successful national assistance wealth from the United States Department of Commerce. The funds volition let ASU to acquisition devices, acquisition software, net entree services, and different IT bundle and hardware for low-income students.

Those funny successful learning much accusation connected the program, and/or looking to use tin click here. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) tin is aimed to assistance radical successful 3 steps.

• Step 1: Claim Your Program Benefit
• Step 2: Contact a participating net work supplier to take an net plan.
• Step 3: Submit!

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