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Biden says high-speed internet access is ‘not a luxury' but a ‘necessity' as admin rolls out new program
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday announced a deal with more than a dozen U.S. internet service providers to give high-speed internet to Americans living in low-income areas, stressing that access is "not a luxury" but a "necessity." Internet service providers like AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and others agreed to provide "high-speed" internet access for $30 per month. The Biden administration also announced Monday a federal subsidy for low-income households that will pay up to $30 for internet access, effectively making the plan free for qualifying households. Americans can apply for access to the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) at a new government website that launched Monday. The president, during a White House Rose Garden event Monday afternoon, said internet is "pretty consequential." "High-speed internet is not a luxury any longer, it is a necessity," Biden said. "That’s why the bipartisan infrastructure law included $65 billion to make sure we expand access to broadband internet in every region of the country – urban, suburban, rural, everywhere." Biden, on Monday, thanked the internet service providers, calling the agreement a "big deal," and saying it is a "great example of what we can achieve when the federal government and the private sector work together to solve serious problems." Americans qualify for the program if their income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. They can also qualify if a member of their household uses any of a number of other federal programs, such as Medicaid, SNAP food stamps, or a veterans pension, according to the White House. The ACP plan allows for download speeds of 100 Megabits per second, but qualifies that those speeds will only be available where "the provider’s infrastructure is capable of it." "The Biden-Harris administration is grateful for the efforts of these companies, and encourages additional internet service providers to join this effort to close the digital divide by offering high-speed, low-cost plans," the White House said in a statement. Posted by: Skidmark 2022-05-11 |
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