On May 27, 2020, former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler published 5 steps to get the internet to all Americans: COVID-19 and the importance of universal broadband. He wrote:
"We hear often about the 'digital divide' in America. The challenge is greater than that, however. It is what Jon Sallet calls the 'digital chasm'—a cluster of digital divides that are larger, longer lasting, multi-faceted, and harder to close. Once and for all, it is time to attack the digital chasm. Any such effort begins with fixing America’s connectivity problem, both in terms of access and affordability."
He also cited Broadband for America’s Future: A Vision for the 2020s for the study that found low-income Americans can only afford to pay about $10 per month for broadband. He went on to write:
"In the 21st century, a low-income subsidy for internet access is as important as telephone access was in the 20th century. Americans availing themselves of the program should be able to use it to obtain service from any qualified broadband provider, not just a telephone company. And the provision of such a low-income program should be a requirement if a company receives federal support to expand broadband."