As of this month, Longmont’s city-owned NextLight internet service has announced that it is helping 14 percent more customers receive discounted fiber internet service through its Internet Assistance Program (IAP) than when the program launched a year ago. The federal government provided a program called the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) that offered a $30 monthly discount to qualified low-income households, but that program ceased to exist on June 1, 2024 due to a lack of funding from Congress.
In January of 2024, NextLight announced it would continue to provide low-income consumers with internet access if the ACP program ran out of funding. The IAP provides qualified households a $25 a month discount. 906 NextLight customers received the federal discount before the ACP ran out of funds. There are currently 1,034 customers taking advantage of the IAP discount.
“At a time when many struggling households across the nation have had to decide whether to keep internet service at all, we’re proud of NextLight’s continued work to close the ‘digital divide’ and make our city’s fiber network a service for all of Longmont,” said NextLight’s Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Scott Rochat.
NextLight was named the fastest internet service provider in the nation in 2018 and celebrated its 10-year anniversary last year. Households are eligible for IAP if they also participate in other public assistance programs, including SNAP, WIC, Section 8 public housing assistance, Medicaid-MSP, and SLMP. Residents can look at a full list of the programs to determine eligibility and apply for IAP at the website or by calling 303-774-4494.
“For families across Longmont, having a high-speed internet connection isn’t optional – it’s vital,” said NextLight’s executive director Valerie Dodd. “We want our NextLight community to know that when times get challenging, we can help them stay connected so that they can continue to work, study and thrive.”
28,000 residences and businesses in Longmont are subscribed to NextLight, which is about two-thirds of the city.
