Biden Announces Discounted High-Speed Internet Program for Low-income Households

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Biden High-Speed Internet Discount Program Overview: 

• Who: President Biden announced 20 internet providers have committed to offering discount services for high-speed internet to low-income consumers. 
• Why: The commitment goes along with a government program offering subsidies for the internet in an effort to expand access to high-speed internet in rural areas and low-income neighborhoods. 
• Where: The new government program affects consumers nationwide. 

Consumers with low incomes can soon have more affordable access to the internet with 20 internet providers agreeing to join a government program that will offer discounted high-speed internet services to those in need of them. 

The new program, which was announced by President Joe Biden on Monday, could also set the table for tens of millions of households around the country to receive free high-speed internet service thanks to an already-existing government subsidy, the AP reports. 

Biden said that having access to high-speed internet is no longer a “luxury” but, rather, a “necessity.” 

Federal subsidies already in place come from the White House’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides $30 monthly subsidies for internet services to low-income households. 

Tens of millions of households across the United States use the subsidies, which are $75 for those living in tribal areas, the AP reports. 

Some 48M U.S. Households Eligible For Subsidies Under New High-Speed Internet Program

The ACP received $14.2 billion in funding last year as part of the $1 trillion infrastructure package passed by Congress.

Around 48 million households in the United States will be eligible to receive $30 subsidies for high-speed internet service under the new program and thus be eligible for completely free service if they also sign up with one of the participating internet providers, the AP reports. 

Biden said that families of four who earn around $55,000 per year, which represents about 40% of Americans, will be eligible to receive the $30 subsidy. 

“This is a case where big business stepped up. We’re trying to get others to do the same thing,” Biden said in the rose garden on Monday, according to the AP. “It’s going to change peoples’ lives.” 

Expanding access to high-speed internet in rural and low-income areas has been a priority for Biden since he was on the presidential campaign trail.

The internet service providers participating in the program are Allo Communications, Altice USA (Optimum and Suddenlink), AltaFiber (and Hawaiian Telcom), AT&T, Astound, Breezeline, Comporium, Comcast, Cox Communications, Frontier, Jackson Energy Authority, IdeaTek, MLGC, MediaCom, Starry, Spectrum (Charter Communications), Vermont Telephone Co., Verizon (Fios only), Vexus Fiber and Wow! Internet, Cable, and TV, the AP reports. 

Meanwhile, earlier this month, Frontier agreed to pay $69 million to resolve claims the internet service provider charged customers for internet which was listed as being faster than it actually was. 

If you are a current or former Frontier internet, home phone and/or TV customer who was quoted or promised a lower monthly rate than you were actually charged as a result of the fees, or who was surprised by hidden rate increases via the fees, you may be able to get legal help to recover the fee payments you made (links to paid attorney content).

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