Internet’s Cost Burdens Many Older Adults
Older Americans — many on fixed incomes — rely on the internet to schedule doctor’s appointments, apply for jobs, pay bills, learn new digital skills and access government services.
But numerous federal programs that made internet affordable for low-income households has expired or been scrapped. The result is that many people 50-plus struggle to afford internet access, with sometimes devastating effects.
Tammy Madrid works as a services coordinator for the Elderly Housing Development & Operations Corporation in Albuquerque and has watched older adults in her community lose the ability to call family, check bank statements and send messages to their doctors.
A program that helped them pay for internet access, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), lapsed in 2024. Forty-two residents had home internet service through the ACP in Madrid’s development. Now fewer than half have managed to keep internet in their apartments, Madrid says.
“You can see the frustration and sadness in their faces, especially for the ones that can’t Zoom [call] with their grandkids in another state or another country,” Madrid says. “It is heartbreaking.”
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One of the remaining federal initiatives still available to connect low-income communities is Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD). But it’s not clear whether this program, which was recently reshaped by the Trump administration, will be able to fully serve older adults who need it. This program seeks to address the issue of accessibility, but questions remain surrounding affordability — and how those with limited technological experience can improve their skills.
In response, AARP advocates nationwide have been meeting with state broadband offices, hosting tele‑town halls to brief AARP members, mobilizing volunteers to share personal stories and urging policymakers to prioritize digital resources for aging communities, particularly in rural areas.
Most recently, AARP pushed for a bill in New Mexico that would provide $10 million to help low-income households afford internet service. That legislation passed both houses and is awaiting the governor’s signature. “For decades, AARP has worked to advance digital access, affordability and adoption, because connectivity is foundational to health and economic security, as well as safety and independence,” wrote Coralette Hannon, director of livable communities for AARP, in a February statement submitted to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which oversees BEAD.
Internet access gaps marginalize adults 50-plus
People view reliable internet as a basic necessity, on par with housing or electricity, but more than 30 percent of those 65 and older lack high-speed home service, according to AARP’s Older Adults Technology Services latest report.