Real Lifeline reform on tap

Source: 
Author: 
Coverage Type: 

The Federal Communications Commission is poised to reform a Reagan-era program designed to keep low-income Americans connected to core communications services. In Reagan’s time, this meant voice; now it means broadband. This reform has particular importance for cities.

As a bipartisan group of 44 mayors observed in a letter supporting reform, “Getting more low-income households online will help modernize delivery of public services—facilitating more responsive and effective governance while lowering overheads for local governments. E-government delivery also saves the public the expense of visiting government offices in person …. Taking advantage of e-government frees public beneficiaries from losing wages if they are paid hourly, and it allows easier and more ubiquitous access to opportunities and resources.” The mayors correctly anticipate how a local government can both improve itself and the lives of its residents when all are online. Still, this is also an appropriate moment to look back to consider critical lessons on the nature of successful reforms. It is unfortunate the FCC did not adopt the 2016 reforms in 2012. The benefits the mayors described could be today’s reality instead of a remaining aspiration. Nonetheless, the reforms demonstrate that the federal government still has within it to course correct and in so doing, lay a foundation for a better future for all.


Real Lifeline reform on tap