Programa de Descuento para Internet (ACP)

T-Mobile does participate in the ACP….just not under the T-Mobile branding. They are offering ACP plans under both Metro by T-Mobile and Assurance Wireless. The law that changed the Emergency Broadband Benefit  (EBB) to the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is very vague about how long the program will exist or if there will be any requalification or expiration of the benefit for the individual beneficiary at some point. The law requires participating telecom carriers meet well defined standards, but can only say that the Biden Administration hope's the program will last for at least several years. 

The ACP is a great benefit, I'm using it myself, but it was rolled out without even having the regulatory process in place to establish how the program would be administered. There were already nearly 10 million households using the plan before the carriers were told what the proposed rules were going to be. The government can't say how long the program will last, but the carriers can't perform credit checks, they have to give at least 3 months of warnings before terminating service for non payment, even longer if the customer disputes the bill, and the government unexpectedly came out with an interpretation of the benefit to mean that any participating carrier must allow customers to use the benefit on ANY rate plan , including grandfathered plans and customized plans that people had under unique circumstances. So, if a company wants to offer the benefit at all, they have to offer $30 off ANY plan that includes any amount of data and $75 per month off to anyone on tribal lands. 

The carriers can't upsell or offer a lower tier of service to those using the benefit, they can't enforce data limits, can't have termination fees, and must allow customers to change carriers ONE TIME PER MONTH with no delays or fees even if the customer wants to swap between carrier "A" and "B" back and forth each month for several years. Any participating carrier has to allow this. 

I completely understand T-Mobile not including the core brand in the ACP. The terms that the government came up with after the carriers had already committed to participating are INSANE.

See for yourself… https://www.fcc.gov/acp 

On a positive note, I want to spread the word about the ACP provider I used. PcsForPeople is a legit 501((c)3) that accepts used computers from businesses and then prepares them for reuse and offers them for sale at reduced rates for those with a low income. They provide free shipping anywhere in the country and they have a simple website where you can qualify for ACP and use the $100 discount on either a laptop for $49.99 or desktop with monitor, headset, keyboard, mouse and webcam for $11. You just have to buy a mobile hotspot for $45  Yes, the total price for the desktop full system with the hotspot is $56. That includes shipping and a one year warranty. The unlimited 4G internet on the T-Mobile network using Mobile Beacon is completely free. The $30 subsidy covers the monthly fee. You simply spend 30 seconds on the website to "purchase" a free 30 day subscription. 

The offer sounded too good to be true when I found it, but it was perfect for me to use for school. 

Check them out acp.pcsrefurbished.com