Millions of low-income households and people who lost jobs in the past year could soon receive a $ 50 monthly subsidy to pay for their Internet bills. The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday approved a $ 3.2 billion plan to provide the aid to help more households afford internet access during the pandemic.
The program is open to households already participating in a pandemic program or a low-income shelter program provided by a broadband service, as well as those already participating in the FCC’s Lifeline Program for Low-Income, and households with children who receive for free or at a discount. -price school meals. In addition, the program is open to people who have lost their jobs and reduced their income in the past year, the agency said.
Jessica Rosenworcel, the acting chairman of the FCC, said in a statement that the program would be open to eligible households within 60 days.
The program’s eligibility guidelines could also open the program to the 117 million households who have lost income since March 13 last year, when the pandemic closed the economy, according to recent data from the US Census. It is likely that some of those households cut for hours without losing their jobs.
Experts say the potential pool of eligible families can quickly outpace program funding. Once $ 3.2 billion runs out, the program will end, according to the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, a group that advocates for broadband access.
“There are two things you need to know about this program: one is that it’s very good that it’s in place, and two, it’s definitely not enough,” said Phillip Lovell, vice president of policy development and government relations at Alliance for Excellent Education, a non-profit organization. that focuses on improving educational outcomes for high school students.
A $ 12 billion broadband access gap
The Education Group estimates that it would take between $ 7 billion and $ 12 billion to provide broadband access to the millions of children who currently have no access – a problem that became acute during the pandemic as nearly all schools transitioned to online education . According to a July survey by Alliance for Excellent Education, the National Indian Education Association, the National Urban League and UnidosUS, about 17 million children are unable to log in to remote education because of the so-called “homework gap.”
The FCC’s grant program is “a major human rights victory,” said Dayton Young, product director at Fight for the Future, a group that advocates for Internet access.
But, Young added, it represents “ the bare minimum of relief we should provide to people across America who are grappling with the impact of COVID-19. No one should have to make a decision between buying groceries and paying for internet access so their kids can attend online classes, and yet that’s a decision countless people have had to make over the past year. “
The FCC’s Rosenworcel said the program is designed to help people who have had to sit in parking lots or outside a public library to get a Wi-Fi signal and free up household budgets that have been squeezed by the economic impact of the pandemic. An analysis of Internet bills by the Wall Street Journal found that the average bill for standalone broadband services was about $ 66 per month.
The FCC’s program also includes a one-time $ 100 discount on a computer or tablet for eligible households. The internet service discount will be as much as $ 75 per month for those living in tribal countries.