Letter to the Editor: Don’t throw away this valuable federal Lifeline

The Aug 12 editorial “Stuck without Internet” outlined possible solutions to address the challenge of connecting more Americans to the Internet. We already have a broadband program to bridge the divide for poor rural Americans. It’s easy to get distracted by talk of spectrum, satellites or running expensive fiber across the entire country. But the federal Lifeline program uses smartphones to connect low-income Americans. Lifeline smartphones often are the simplest and most efficient solution. Bolstering the program, which faces a death threat from the Federal Communications Commission, is an obvious course of action.

The Pew Research Center found that 37 percent of us rely on smartphone-based broadband from time to time and that smartphone-based broadband is the primary connection for 26 percent of those with a high school education or less. Being connected is vital for work, family and, often, accessing critical health-care services. I relied on Lifeline to gain a solid footing and pursue my education as a single parent. We already have the tools to close the digital divide. Let’s preserve and expand Lifeline to bring the remaining unconnected Americans into the fold.

[Crystal Rhoades is a member of the Nebraska Public Service Commission]