On June 17, 2020, Rev. Al Sharpton, FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, and other civil rights leaders published the article Broadband Access Is A Civil Right We Can’t Afford To Lose—But Many Can’t Afford To Have in Essence. "There is a broadband emergency in America," the article begins. "The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the digital divide in an unprecedented way. As civil rights leaders and a commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, we are calling on our nation’s leadership to enact a robust connectivity plan to address the immediate and future needs of marginalized communities."
They wrote, "A recent study indicates that more than 18 million households lack broadband simply because it is too expensive. An affordable broadband option will help ease the burdens on people who struggle to make ends meet. Research shows that low-income families can only afford to pay around $10 a month for broadband, which is roughly the price point of many Internet offerings targeted toward low-income consumers. We must expand these offerings and remove barriers to participation," which links to Jon's Creating an Affordability Agenda.