Groups call on FCC to commit to low-income internet program

A coalition of civil rights and digital advocacy groups is calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to renew its commitment to Lifeline, a program that provides subsidies for internet access to low-income households.

In a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and the two sitting commissioners, the groups asked that the agency reverse its decision from earlier this month to revoke nine carriers’ participation in Lifeline.

{mosads}“Lifeline has brought affordable telephone service to millions of people in poverty,” the letter reads. “Now it is the only federal program poised to bring broadband to poor families across the U.S. so that they can connect to jobs, complete their homework, and communicate with healthcare providers and emergency services.”

Among the letter’s notable signees were the NAACP and the AFL-CIO, as well as internet rights groups such as Free Press and Public Knowledge.

The letter was released just hours before the FCC’s February meeting — the first since Pai cracked down on the Lifeline program.

Pai’s move engendered a fierce backlash among critics who say that it was a severe blow to the program.

The outcry prompted Pai to defend himself in a blog post days later, playing down the effect his decision would have on Lifeline and blasting the media for mischaracterizing the action.

“Hyperbolic headlines always attract more attention than mundane truths,” Pai wrote. “For example, a story detailing how the FCC was undertaking further review of the eligibility of 1% of Lifeline providers wouldn’t generate too many clicks.”

Critics were not convinced by the message.

“Lifeline is the only federal program designed to directly address the high cost of internet services,” said Free Press senior counsel Jessica González in a statement.

“If Chairman Pai means what he says about wanting to bridge the digital divide, he must focus on making access more affordable and drop his harmful efforts to undermine this program. Rather than revoking the Lifeline designation for broadband providers, the agency should push more resources into modernizing and expanding the program.”