Affordable Connectivity Program Reached More Than Twice the Families of Lifeline

Why is it that households eligible for an income-based federal program don’t take advantage of it? Only 20 percent of eligible households use Lifeline, and fewer than one in five enroll in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, yet the Affordable Connectivity Program drove take-rates of about 43 percent, more than twice as high. At a Georgetown University event on Capitol Hill, a panel of economists and public policy experts said the contrast underscores how program design choices can make or break adoption of federal subsidies.