A new federal plan to offer low-income users fast service at a deep discount is a much-needed step toward closing the digital divide, experts say.
Affordable high-speed internet available for low-income families
The White House announced that 20 internet providers, including AT&T, Comcast and Verizon, have agreed to offer the lower-cost service. The plan would cost eligible households no more than $30 a month. Officials estimate the program will cover 48 million households, or 40 percent of the country.
“A low-cost broadband option is absolutely essential in the digital age as millions of Americans continue to work and learn from home,” Tyler Cooper, a research director at Fair Internet Report, told Lifewire in an email interview. “A stable, affordable connection is no longer a luxury, it’s a requirement of modern life, and the Affordable Connectivity Program is an essential step in keeping people across the country connected.”
The Affordable Connectivity Program offers plans that provide download speeds of at least 100 megabits per second. The program is part of the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which sets aside $65 billion to connect people to broadband. Most of the money goes to states and territories to build broadband infrastructure, but $14.2 billion is for the grant program.
