WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker issued the following statement after the FCC announced plans to modernize the Universal Service Fund (USF) Lifeline Assistance Program by allowing the program to offer affordable broadband Internet service for eligible households. The change to the program — which has traditionally provided support for landline telephone service — will help bridge the digital divide by making broadband services more affordable across the country.
"In the digital age, broadband access is not a luxury — it’s a necessity. I applaud the FCC’s plan to help improve broadband access and affordability for the people who need it most. A quality Internet connection is a leveling force that empowers people to seek greater economic opportunities, and the FCC’s plan will have a positive impact on thousands of eligible families in New Jersey and across the country. I look forward to the Commission’s vote later this month to approve this critically important proposal.”
The FCC’s move to modernize the Lifeline program follows legislation introduced by Sens. Booker and Chris Murphy (D-CT) last year. The senators’ legislation, The Broadband Adoption Act of 2015, would make broadband services more accessible to low-income individuals by expanding and reforming the Lifeline program. The legislation, cosponsored by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Edward Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), has received widespread support from the civil rights community and industry stakeholders.
The FCC has estimated that nearly 100 million Americans still have not adopted broadband Internet services at home. Studies by Pew and the FCC have strongly suggested that broadband adoption rates in urban and rural communities are largely associated with incomes levels and the high cost of broadband services. While the broadband penetration rate is over 90 percent nationwide among households making over $50,000 a year, that figure drops to 68 percent for homes bringing in $30,000-$50,000 a year, and to less than half in households making under $30,000.