White House makes last-ditch push for internet subsidy program
Reuters
Published Apr 02, 2024 05:06AM ET
Updated Apr 02, 2024 11:55AM ET
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House plans to renew a push in April to convince Congress to extend an internet subsidy program used by 23 million American households just weeks before it runs out of money, officials said.
In October, the White House asked for $6 billion to extend the program through December 2024, but Congress has not funded it, potentially putting millions of households at risk of losing their internet service.
Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel told lawmakers in a letter that April is the last month participants will get the full subsidy, with partial subsidies in May.
Congress previously allocated $17 billion to help lower-income families and people impacted by COVID-19 gain broadband access through a $30 per month voucher to use toward internet service.
"We have come too far to allow this successful effort to promote internet access for all to end," Rosenworcel said on Tuesday. "Despite the breadth of this support and the urgent need to continue this program to ensure millions of households nationwide do not lose essential internet access, no additional funding has yet been appropriated."
The FCC froze enrollment on Feb. 8 for new users.
The White House says the plan, known as the Affordable Connectivity Program, helps users save over $500 million per month on their internet bills.
Verizon (NYSE:VZ), Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) and AT&T (NYSE:T), have all called for Congress to extend the program.
Bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Peter Welch, JD (NASDAQ:JD) Vance, Jacky Rosen and Kevin Cramer would provide $7 billion for the program. A bill to fund the program for one-year has been introduced in the House and is backed by 216 members.
The FCC cited a survey that if the program ends, more than three-quarters of the households in the program "would experience service disruption or would have to change their existing plan or stop service altogether."
Get The News You Want
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.