AT&T Access Program Obligation expires April 22, 2020

ROANEnet has heard from our partner, National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) that the AT&T Access program created under the terms of AT&T’s 2016 agreement with the FCC in the DirectTV merger will formally be not required to be provided after April 22, 2020.

The AT&T Access program provides wireline internet service at “best efforts” download speeds up to 10 Mbps, at a monthly cost of $5 to $10 depending on the speed. The program was required to be available for four years, with the subscriber during the fourth year guaranteed a full year of service. Based on the date the merger took effect, the four-year obligation apparently ends on April 22, 2020.

After that date, a continued Access program will be voluntary and can take any form AT&T chooses. AT&T staff state that the company intends to continue its Access discount Internet program for SNAP households “in some form” after its obligation to do so expires in April.