Commissioner Baker at FCC's Low-Income Pilot Program Roundtable

Speaking to a FCC discussion among interested parties about how to design broadband pilot programs for low-income consumers, FCC Commissioner Meredith Baker said, "Broadband affordability is ... not limited to a monthly DSL bill. We will have to take into account the substantial consumer electronic costs of broadband." She noted that a consumer can get a telephone from amazon.com for $9.84. But the cheapest netbook is $259 and a full function laptop is at least hundred dollars more. 10 percent of non-adopters cite computer costs such as these as their key affordability hurdle, while only 15 percent cite the monthly bill itself.

"With respect to broadband, we must also recognize that digital literacy and relevancy play equally important roles in the decision of whether or not to subscribe. All of these complexities demonstrate that a pilot program approach - looking before we leap - is particularly appropriate here. There is no magic formula for the type or level of subsidy, and I look forward to learning from this workshop and future efforts how best to structure a low-income support mechanism for broadband," she said