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The acting chairman of the Federal Communications Commission on Monday announced a proposal to use $ 3.2 billion in emergency funds to significantly subsidize broadband service for millions of households in an attempt to bridge the digital divide that punished low-income families during the pandemic.
President Jessica Rosenworcel announced that under her proposal, eligible households would receive $ 50 per month in discounts for broadband internet service. The discount would be $ 75 for households on tribal lands. Ms Rosenworcel sent the proposal to the other three commissioners for a vote, but did not specify when that vote would take place for the program, which is called the Broadband Emergency Benefit.
Congress allocated the money last December as part of a Covid-19 relief bill. The money will be available to households at 135% or more of the poverty line, those who are entitled to a free and discounted school meal, or who have suffered a substantial loss of income since February 29, 2020.
At least 14.5 million homes do not have high-speed internet access. For many families, especially in urban and suburban areas, the high cost of broadband has prevented them from acquiring the service. The consequences of the digital divide during the pandemic have been severe. Children have been cut off from online learning and adults have not been able to work from home or find vital health information.
“No one should have to choose between paying their internet bill or paying to put food on the table,” Rosenworcel said in a statement. “With the help of emergency broadband delivery, we have a new way for households to access virtual learning, for patients to connect to telehealth providers, and for those struggling in this pandemic. ” learn new skills online and look for their next job.
The digital divide has been one of the federal government’s most enduring problems. Although more than $ 8 billion in federal grants are allocated to Internet service providers each year to bring broadband to every American home, adoption and access rates have improved by a knock. Broadband cards, for example, significantly overestimate the number of households with access to the service. If an Internet service provider such as Verizon or Comcast only reaches one home in a census block, the entire block appears connected on federal maps – although in reality not all households have the possibility of using broadband.
Last week, Rosenworcel announced the creation of a working group to study the agency’s monitoring of broadband access data.
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