Student Opinion: The Biden Administration and Cable Companies Working Together to Bring Internet to Millions of Households – The Peoples Vanguard of…

By: Ariana Ceballos

The White House, in a Monday press release, announced its initiative partnering with twenty internet providers to reduce prices on high-speed internet. This proposal will bring relief to millions of families, especially those in the low-income range that struggle to afford essential resources for their households.

The cap on prices for high-speed internet falls under the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP); the White House website states that nearly 40% of households in the country qualify for ACP. Households within ACP earn an income that is below or at the Federal Poverty Level, or have a member that is a part of a program like Medicaid, Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit. This new addition to ACP is great as households will no longer need to worry about additional bills or struggle to provide family members with a resource many employers and schools require.

In a CNBC report, Lauren Feiner describes how low-income households qualifying for the ACP can receive up to $30 per month off of their internet bills. and $75 per month off on Tribal Land according to the White House press release.

By implementing a cap on these prices, households will not need to worry if they cannot meet payments on time and receive a certain fee. This initiative allows for the internet to be more accessible for people that struggle to make ends meet. With worries like rent and expenses on food, doubts about internet accessibility can be put to rest, as the program now turns it into a necessity being provided by officials.

Twenty internet providers have signed onto the plan. According to Ayana Archie of NPR, these providers are national companies like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon, as well as regional companies, such as Hawaiian Telecom and Jackson Energy Authority in Tennessee. Internet access has become a necessity in the country, and more than ever, the range of providers participating in the program stresses this. Especially with the rise of online learning and remote work during the pandemic, the need for internet access is great, so this program goes a long way into giving people the necessary tool for navigating numerous other aspects of their lives. The same NPR report includes a quote from AT&T CEO John Stankey, Its time for every American to experience the social, economic, health, employment and educational benefits of universal scaled access to the internet.

Archie states that organizations such as United Way and Goodwill will also assist with outreach and enrollment, showing how neighboring organizations are willing to help make people aware of this opportunity. People who are eligible for ACP will become more aware of the aid that they can receive from the program. As someone who has grown up with internet access and relies on it to hear about news, Im glad to hear that this, once seen as a privilege, is becoming more common.

During and after the pandemic, many workforces and educational places have become dependent on online resources. Without a doubt, it is vital that people who cannot afford internet access have a fair opportunity to access it.

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Student Opinion: The Biden Administration and Cable Companies Working Together to Bring Internet to Millions of Households - The Peoples Vanguard of...