PROJECT BRIEF

BACKGROUND

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was a prominent federal initiative that achieved widespread enrollment across the United States, significantly improving broadband accessibility and affordability for eligible households. The City of Brownsville, Texas was one of the largest beneficiaries under the program. Consequently, the termination of the ACP earlier in 2024raises important questions about the City’s ability and approach to ensuring that its residents remain connected to the internet.

AIMS

This project evaluates the impacts of the ACP's termination on broadband access in the City of Brownsville. Building on insights gained from stakeholder engagement and secondary data, the policy memorandum outlines strategic pathways for Brownsville to fund and sustain affordable broadband access. The memorandum acknowledges the City of Brownsville’s pre-existing framework and partnerships, which were established prior to the ACP’s termination, and leverages them to propose a series of actionable recommendations.

METHODOLOGY

Through a combination of qualitative research and stakeholder engagement, the team explored the City of Brownsville’s response to the termination of the ACP, including the redirection and in some cases, acceleration, of the City’s pre-existing efforts to improve broadband access for its residents. Through an in-depth comparative analysis, the team comprehensively reviewed the models and initiatives adopted across the United States to ensure continuous, accessible, and affordable broadband access.

DELIVERABLES

Project deliverables include (1) an analysis of insights into the ACP’s termination and its effects, (2) a policy review of existing programs and initiatives across the United States to evaluate best practices, and (3) policy recommendations for the City to mitigate the digital divide’s expansion using a multifaceted, cross-sector approach.

IMPACT AND FUTURE WORK

This policy memorandum outlines a series of actionable recommendations, prioritized within a structured implementation timeline. The short-term implementation plan includes strategies that the City of Brownsville could adopt to provide residents with immediate, though temporary, broadband access while positioning itself to secure federal funding under relevant programs for long-term broadband infrastructure development and other digital inclusion initiatives.