The Biden administration said Monday that 20 leading ISPs have agreed to offer major low-cost plans that will be free for millions of Americans after the refund.
The 20 companies, including AT&T (T), Comcast (CMCSA) and Verizon (VZ), cover more than 80% of the US population. They will immediately provide at least one plan that costs no more than $ 30 per month and provides a download speed of at least 100 mbps.
The White House says 40 percent of the U.S. population, about 48 million households, will be eligible to register through an existing program called the Access Connection Program (ACP). The program is aimed at lower-income Americans and offers participants a discount of up to $ 30 / month from their Internet bill, which means that they will actually receive a free service if they can connect online with one of these participating companies.
AT&T CEO John Stankey said his company’s new plan “when combined with ACP’s federal advantages, provides up to 100 Mbps of free internet service”.
“The Internet for All requires a partnership between business and government, and we are pleased to work with the administration, Congress and the FCC to ensure that everyone has an accessible, accessible and sustainable broadband service,” he said.
“High speed internet at home is no longer a luxury”
Monday’s news comes in large part thanks to $ 65 billion set aside for high-speed Internet in the bipartisan infrastructure law. This money has helped finance the ACP and is also being channeled into parallel efforts to increase coverage areas and speeds.
“High-speed internet at home is no longer a luxury: it is a need for children to learn, workers to do their jobs, the elderly and others to have access to healthcare through telemedicine, and all of us to stay connected in this digital world.” the administration told reporters during a preview of the announcement.
“Historical opportunity”
Families are eligible for ACP mainly on the basis of income level. Every household that makes less than 200% of the federal poverty level – $ 55,500 for a family of four in the continental United States – is eligible. Households can also qualify if they participate in certain government programs such as Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income.
The story continues
The Affordable Care Program is a historic opportunity to bridge the digital divide by enabling more Americans to connect online and connect with our increasingly digital world, said David N. Watson, CEO and President of Comcast. .
The full list of participating companies includes Allo Communications, AltaFiber, Altice USA, Astound, AT&T, Breezeline, Comcast, Comporium, Frontier, IdeaTek, Cox Communications, Jackson Energy Authority, MediaCom, MLGC, Spectrum, Verizon, Vermont Telephone Company, Vexus Fiber, and Wow! Internet, cable and TV.
Verizon, for example, will now offer its existing Fios service for $ 30 / month to program participants. Other companies, such as Spectrum, say they will increase the speed of an existing plan by $ 30 / month to reach the 100 mbps standard set by the White House, where their infrastructure allows.
Encouraging more companies to “make the same commitments”
Particularly missing in Monday’s announcement are much smaller and rural ISPs that would be challenged to meet White House pricing or speed requirements.
“I think there are currently around 1,300 participating ACP providers, and we would obviously like each of them to make the same commitments as these 20 companies,” said a senior administration official.
Vice President Kamala Harris is discussing an accessible connection program in February. (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)
These companies cover 50% of the rural population. These Americans are still eligible to sign up for ACP, but may continue to face slower speeds or plans that are not fully covered by the $ 30 refund.
So far, 11.5 million households have registered to receive ACP benefits. The program was first created as a relief measure in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, and Biden staff have moved to make it permanent as a way to reduce the digital divide.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will speak at the White House on Monday with Internet executives as the first part of a multilateral effort to boost registrations. This effort includes a new website GetInternet.gov and direct contact from federal agencies such as the Social Security Administration as well as the states.
Ben Vershkul is a writer and producer for Yahoo Finance in Washington, DC.
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