It is Time to Reimagine Lifeline

Low-income households are spending too much on connectivity. Prior to the pandemic, the Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program supported mainly wireless communication services for low-income households; its $9.25/month subsidy resulting in service plans that restricted voice and data usage. To address Americans’ online connectivity needs during the pandemic, Congress directed the FCC to launch the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program—a historic expansion of financial support for universal service. With the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, EBB has transitioned to a longer-term Affordable Connectivity Program, a $30-per-month service subsidy for qualifying households. The Affordable Connectivity Program offers the opportunity to take a fresh look at policies to promote online access for low-income people in the United States. In Reimagining Lifeline: Universal Service, Affordability, and Connectivity, published by the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, I examine data about the tools typical American households have for accessing the internet and how affordable they are, and explore the administrative journey of Lifeline, which is all the more significant because the Universal Service Administrative Company, which administers the Lifeline program, will also administer the Affordable Connectivity Program.

[John B. Horrigan is a Benton Senior Fellow. He is a national expert on technology adoption, digital inclusion, and evaluating the outcomes and impacts of programs designed to promote communications technology adoption and use.]


It is Time to Reimagine Lifeline