AT&T and Public Library Association collaborate to increase awareness and adoption of federal broadband benefits

Press release from AT&T

AT&T and the Public Library Association (PLA) have launched a free self-paced online course to educate parents, caregivers, and families about the federal broadband benefits available to qualifying households for discounted internet service from participating providers.

To help bridge the digital divide, AT&T and PLA collaborated to develop an easily accessible and relatable course that provides an in-depth overview of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), the documents needed to apply, the process of applying, and how to use the benefit, if eligible. 

According to AT&T, one reason why U.S. households are not online is because of concerns about cost and affordability, but only 17 million households, representing an estimated 35% of eligible households, have signed up for the Affordable Connectivity Program.

The online course is available now through AT&T ScreenReady and PLA’s DigitalLearn in English and Spanish. With support from AT&T, 50 libraries will be selected by PLA to provide in-person ACP workshops in the community. Up to 215 libraries will also be selected to provide in-person digital literacy workshops teaching basic technology skills. Library patrons can check with local libraries to learn about upcoming workshops supported by AT&T, which will begin in August.

The ACP course is the newest in a curated series of digital literacy courses offered by AT&T and PLA  to help bring technology confidence and digital literacy skills to families and library patrons across the country.

The initiative is part of the AT&T Connected Learning initiative and our 3-year, $2 billion commitment made in 2021 to address the digital divide through investments in internet accessibility, affordability, and the safe adoption of technology.