Internet service providers including Charter, Verizon and Comcast are shifting customers away from the Affordable Connectivity Program, an expired federal internet subsidy that helped low-income households pay for broadband, according to earnings calls and people familiar with the matter. The $14.2 billion program, which went into effect in December 2021, served roughly 23 million households, two-thirds of which had either inconsistent or zero internet access prior to enrolling, according to a December survey from the Federal Communications Commission. It provided a discount of up to $30 per month for some qualifying households and up to $75 a month for households on eligible tribal land. But it officially ended in June after Congress decided not to renew its funding. Since the ACP lapsed, some Democratic and Republican lawmakers have been working to bring back the program. But broadband companies have been focused on transitioning their customers to other affordable options to help them make up the expired discount, according to…
