The FCC has done a whole lot of talking about Lifeline Broadband, but has taken precious little action to make it actually happen.
Lifeline Assistance, commonly known as the free government cell phone program, has been helping low income Americans for a generation. Those same Americans desperately need a similar program that offers free or cheap internet, but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is taking far too long to approve the program.
FCC Chairman Thomas Wheeler recently proposed such a program designed to help low-income consumers. According to Wheeler’s proposal, those consumers would be helped with the cost of high-speed broadband internet access through Lifeline Assistance, the same program that helps them with their cell phone and landline bills.
Before we go into the specifics of Wheeler’s plan, it would make sense to explain how the Lifeline Assistance program works:
Low-income Americans are currently provided with subsidies of $9.25 per month on either cell phones or landline telephone service. In the case of landlines, those who qualify are offered a $9.25 discount off the price of regular telephone service. In the case of cell phones, an entire industry sprung up after one company realized it could offer the phones and service for free and still turn a profit on that $9.25 per month per account government subsidy.
Here’s how Chairman Wheeler’s plan would work based on the sketchy details provided:
The plan would expand the Lifeline Assistance program and give low-income households the choice of applying the $9.25 subsidy to either wireless or wired broadband access.
Unfortunately, the wheels of progress turn very slowly in Washington, DC and high-speed broadband internet is still a long way from reality.
After a 3-2 vote approving Wheeler’s plan, the FCC will now go into red tape mode and begin seeking comments from the public and other interested parties (such as cable and telephone internet service providers and consumer protection groups) as to whether internet service providers should be required to provide some as yet undetermined minimum level of service as part of the program, what those service levels should be, and what they should be allowed to charge.
Truth be told, the only thing Wheeler’s proposal does is say “We’d like to expand the program and we’d like to offer the same $9.95 per month subsidy.” In other words, the FCC has been studying this program for years and Wheeler put something in writing to make it look like progress is being made when it really isn’t.
If we sound a little testy about this subject, well, we are. The Lifeline Assistance program has been studied and test marketed and sliced and diced and we are quite frankly disgusted that this is the best the FCC can come up with after all this time. Pardon us, but thousands of needy Americans cry out to us every month seeking affordable ways to get internet access for their families. More than 12 million households, each of them already eligible for free government cell phones because they participate in state and federal aid programs like Medicaid or food stamps, desperately need access to cheap internet, too.
“Over a span of three decades,” Wheeler said in a blog post, “the program has helped tens of millions of Americans afford basic phone service. But as communications technologies and markets evolve, the Lifeline program also has to evolve to remain relevant.”
Sorry, Mr. Wheeler, but actions will speak much louder than nice, warm words posted on an official government blog.
How critical is the situation? How severe is the Digital Divide that separates internet usage among America’s richest citizens from its poorest? Consider these startling statistics.
Among households making less than $25,000 a year, less than half have internet access at home. On the other hand, 95% of households with incomes of more than $150,000 have internet access. There is also a steep Digital Divide between the races. White and Asian-American households are far more likely to have home internet access than African-American and Hispanic households.
We would like to make two suggestions:
- Fast track the public comments. We know what the Democrats are going to say. We know what the Republicans are going to say. We know what the public comments are going to be. Schedule the public comment sessions. Get them over with and move on.
- Think about increasing the $9.25 per month subsidy. Even middle class Americans find internet access to be outrageously expensive. Reducing those expensive cable bills by $9.25 per month for low-income Americans will still leave the monthly fees out of the reach of most needy Americans.
- Come up with a plan to incentivize cable and telephone companies to offer free government broadband similar to the way they’ve been able to offer free government cell phones.
If you don’t heed those three suggestions, Lifeline Broadband will eventually be added to the already long list of failed government boondoggles.
Related Pages:
Is the FCC finally ready to announce its long-awaited…
Coming Soon! Free Government Internet Phones
Digital Divide: Do your kids suffer from the homework gap?- A BOLD PREDICTION: Lifeline Broadband will be here by the…
If the FCC wants faster broadband speeds, it should end…
FCC and Congress helping low income Americans get high-speed
Mary says
I qualify but I’m having trouble finding service where I live
CheapInternet.com Administrator says
We assume you live in a rural area. Is that correct, Mary? Rural areas are limited because cell signals are limited in those areas.
Terri says
How do I sign up for the Lifeline free internet
William Rothwell, P.h.D. says
To whom it may concern,
Twice now Lifeline’s cell phone program has saved my life! With little or no exaggeration Lifeline is a program that should be available for those in: living below the Poverty Line, Senior citizens living in Poverty (I happen to be one of them!
I have a disease entitled R.S,D.S. A chronic pain disease among them being cancer of the kidneys. I luckily found a computer and already have Microsoft’s version 2.0 to try and help my student. She tells me all the computers programs are different. Even though it is old software it is a God-Send none the less. I am on SSI and my in come is so limited that without the Snap Programm I think I would die. GREAT PROGRAM GREAT WORL PLEASE DO NOT LET IT DIE. I DO NOT CONSIDER IT ANOTHER HANDOUT LOOK AT THE PROGRESS WITH AN OLD COMPUTER FOUND IN THE STREET I HAD THE SOFTWARE WITH FREE INTERNET I WOULD KISS SOMEONE’S ARSE. ALTHOUGH IT IS DIFFERENT SOFTWARE HER PEERS AE USING IT GIVES HER THE BEDLY NEEDED COGNITIVE SKILLS WITH 2 BRAINS, ONE HELPERAND AN OLD ENCYCLOPEDIA WE WORK MIRACLES AND HOPE, HOPE BEING THE STRONGEST FORTITUDE WE HAVE.
SINCERELY,
WILIAM ROTHWELL
**************
GLEN MILLS, PA. 19342
484 840 ****
P.S. I NEVER KNOW WHAT PROGRAM WILL BE SHUT OFF BUT YOU HAVE TO RISE ABOVE OR SINK WITH OUR SHILDREN.
Steve says
[Help millions of Americans access broadband Internet. Add broadband Internet to the modernization of the Lifeline program.]
If you want to be herd and counted as making an effort in your part of having a say in bring the above message to the FCC, follow the link below and sign the Petition.
Link-
https://www.change.org/p/federal-communications-commission-help-millions-more-americans-access-broadband-internet
3,051 supporters have signed this petition !
Steve says
Part 1
This is my understanding why we have no Lifeline Internet yet, through my research
on the web and from the FCC site, with regards of the below article of 06-22-2015.
Lifeline Reform and Modernization-FNPRM (LINK IS BELOW)
(By the way “Thank GOD” I’m able to afford Internet service in some form in this
DIGITAL Age-YES I do make sacrifices to achieve this on my less than $700.Monthly)
The whole article is viewable in your browser window only with the PDF option, or
you can download it as WORD and then right click on FCC-15-71A1.docx were you have
saved it, after right clicking on FCC-15-71A1.docx, then OPEN or OPEN with Windows
word pad, same viewing effect of both actions.
You can find this article by going to—- https://www.fcc.gov/lifeline
Then scrolling down to—– 06-22-2015 Lifeline Reform and Modernization-FNPRM
Found listed under ” Daily Releases “, “2015” , about the seventh one down – as of
my dated comment/post here today.
The “Blue texts” are links, which all will open in your browsers window except WORD
which is a link for the download of the entire article.
WORD and PDF are two different links SIDE BY SIDE.
[You’ll see in “Blue text”-
Word PDF
Wheeler Statement – – – https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-15-71A2.pdf
Clyburn Statement – – – https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-15-71A3.pdf
Rosenworcel Statement – https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-15-71A4.pdf
Pai Statement – – – – – https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-15-71A5.pdf
O’Rielly Statement- – – https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-15-71A6.pdf ]
What I find interesting is that the “below” by the commission, seems to be a divided
3 to 2 outcome Vote for and against the uniformity, acceptance, and agreement of going
forward on just the passing of Lifeline Reform and Modernization, which seems to be a
stonewalling trend we are all so used to seeing of the Congress and Senate the last
few presidential terms.
This has been Part 1
Steve says
Part 2
As it also seems true with the FCC Commissioners.
So was it passed? The Modernization addresses the adding of Broadband to Lifeline.
In so to, noticing that it’s seems to be DEMOCRATs versus REPUBLICANs for the hold-up
on this passing, if it didn’t pass. (I’m not sure of how the VOTE works, if 3-2 for,
passes it).
Reading the whole article or just reading each of Commissioners statements you’ll
come to understand why.
(I went back above and added links to each of the Commissioners Statements for you,
they are PDF links that opens your browser window.)
[By the Commission:
Chairman Wheeler and Commissioners Clyburn and Rosenworcel issuing separate statements;
Commissioners Pai and O’Rielly dissenting and issuing separate statements.]
[Lifeline Reform and Modernization-FNPRM:
Comprehensively restructures and modernizes the Lifeline program to efficiently and
effectively connect low-income Americans to broadband, strengthen program oversight
and administration, and take additional measures to eliminate waste, fraud, abuse.]
Our hands (right or left) are composed of multiple parts (fingers and a thumb) and
a connecting mass related to as the hand, so it is with the FCC Commissioners, that
they consist of five in count, with the connecting mass being the Government.
FCC Commissioners:
CHAIRMAN TOM WHEELER
District of Columbia–DEMOCRAT–ends in 2018
COMMISSIONER MIGNON L. CLYBURN
South Carolina——DEMOCRAT—-ends in 2017
COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI
Kansas—————-REPUBLICAN–ends in 2016
COMMISSIONER JESSICA ROSENWORCEL
Connecticut———-DEMOCRAT—-ends in 2015
COMMISSIONER MICHAEL O’RIELLY
New York————REPUBLICAN–ends in 2019
I’m trying to post/comment in shorter context, so there will be part 1, 2, etc.
This has been Part 2
Steve says
Part 3
[The FCC is directed by five commissioners appointed by the President of
United States and confirmed by the U.S.Senate for five-year terms, except when
filling an unexpired term.
The President designates one of the commissioners to serve as chairman.
Only three commissioners may be members of the same political party.
None of them may have a financial interest in any FCC-related business.]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Communications_Commission
[The FCC is organized into seven Bureaus, which process applications for
licenses and other filings, analyze complaints, conduct investigations,
develop and implement regulations, and participate in hearings.]
When an accident, disease, abuse, etc, affects the functioning of one or more
fingers or the thumb, the whole hand suffers.
So seems the case of the FCC Commissioners, in regards of bring Lifeline
Broadband Internet to low-income Americans sufferings.
As in one hands functioning being restricted and not as useful but, still
manages to do a required task or of your shifting that hands responsibilities
of that task to the other good hand.
As with the FCC Commissioners there is not a subitute or the shifting of the
responsibilities is even possible. These five Commissioners must come up with
an joint understanding of applied bipartisanship for our own benefits, not
their political parties.
So the VOTING system takes place.
[COMMISSIONER MICHAEL O’RIELLY Statement gives a commemt of “This
could—and should—have been a 5-0 vote.” and “Instead, it appears that, on
yet another item, the thinking evolved, and the desire to act in a bipartisan
manner has evaporated.”
Besides the Commissioners trying to come to terms of a feasible Lifeline
Broadband Internet plan/program being void of the waste, fraud, abuse.
Then to somewhat try to future proof it now and not along the way, it is
just the same as their trying to be a fortune teller of yet an unknown future
of technologies to come.
This has been Part 3
Steve says
Part 4
(Oh why was NIKOLA TESLA,
ideals of wireless lighting and electricity distribution and wireless
communication with his devices not taken seriously enough by his backers and
investors.
Then to even be noted by society at the time as an archetypal mad scientist.)
In his article, “The Problem of Increasing Human Energy,” published in 1900,
Tesla stated:
“For ages this idea [that each of us is only part of a whole] has been
proclaimed in the consummately wise teachings of religion, probably not
alone as a means of insuring peace and harmony among men, but as a deeply
founded truth.
The Buddhist expresses it in one way, the Christian in another, but both say
the same: We are all one.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla
The above TESLA statements-
“that each of us is only part of a whole”
“We are all one”
could hold true if the Lifeline Broadband Internet was brought in to effect
and implemented to needy low-income Americans.
Then the political scene could be changed drastically where whatever parties
candidate your interest(s) lay could be researched to an understanding of
their track records, if they have flipped flopped on issues, how moral or
immoral their actions and intents are, how they have come to be where they
are in politics at the time of your interest of them.
Where we could get a Senate, Congress, and presidentship of bipartisanism
to grow this country to greater state of the union than it has ever been.
This has been Part 4
Steve says
Part 5
Besides the Commissioners trying to come to terms of a feasible Lifeline
Broadband Internet plan/program being void of the waste, fraud, abuse.
Then to somewhat try to future proof it now and not along the way, it is
just the same as their trying to be a fortune teller of yet an unknown future
of technologies to come.
They should on a company who pratcies waste, fraud, abuse make it a felony,
impose very heavy fines with imprisionment and ban them by blacklisting
these companies, CEO’s, and their leading board members.
To never be able to participate in the future of Lifeline or any of the
other FCC Bureaus related services dealings with compainies in one way or
another associated with the Universal Service Fund and/or regulatory fees.
No three stricks and your out here, set an example of the first offenders
caught and install the fear of retribution for any followers of said praticies.
To the customer/patrons abusers of the Lifeline assistance programs ban/prohibit
for a term of three years for first offence and a life long ban for repeat
offenders, if the repeated offence was within a seven year period of the first
offence.
That should be all the future proofing they should ever need for the matter
fraud, and abusers. No three stricks and your out here, set an example of the
offenders caught and install a fear of retribution for other offenders by
posting current offenders names and state the offense had occurred in.
This has been Part 5
Steve says
Part 6
As I read the statements of the FCC Commissioners it’s becoming clear that
Lifeline as it is now was never meant to be a a hand-out, BUT, be a hand-up.
[Lifeline was established in 1985 during the Reagan Administration in order
to help make telephone service more affordable for low-income Americans.]
[Discounted service was replaced by free service and free phone giveaways.
Unscrupulous operators exploited the program for their own benefit.
Ineligible consumers signed up.
Numerous people enrolled in Lifeline multiple times.
The end result was massive waste, fraud, and abuse.]
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-15-71A5.pdf
Note: the term “AFFORDABLE” above from COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI Statement link.
I don’t think I’m one of very few that would be willing to pay for a quality
Lifeline Broadband Internet, say $10.- to $12.- amonth, if I got the same
quality of internet as a $70.- to $100.- a month plan elsewhere would cost.
In fact, if I were offered Lifeline phone service for $5.- to $7.- a month
for unlimited Voice and Texts, I’d jump on that in a heartbeat, remembering
my statement of only a “$700.- monthly” income.
COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI Statement, let loose an indacator of maybe when the
Lifeline Broadband Internet will become available to us low-income Americans.
He states this-
[For over two weeks, I pushed for this proposal. And the answer was no.
But then, suddenly, late yesterday afternoon, the Chairman’s Office presented
the Republican Commissioners with a last-minute offer out of the blue.
They were prepared to propose an annual budget of $1.6 billion to last through
the end of 2016. But even if all goes smoothly, an expansion of the broadband
program will not begin to be widely implemented until the end of 2016.
So having a budget that would expire before the broadband expansion was
completely operational was a joke.]
Do you catch the part “an expansion of the broadband program will not begin to
be widely implemented until the end of 2016.” and “even if all goes smoothly.”
I take it this means rolling out to other than the Low-Income Broadband Pilot
Program participants.
[The 14 pilot projects shared a set of common elements that reflect the current
model of the Lifeline program — e.g., all relied on existing ETCs to provide
service, and the ETCs had to confirm that individuals participating in the pilot
were eligible and qualified to receive Lifeline benefits — but on the other hand,
each project tested different subsidy amounts, conditions to receiving service,
and different outreach and marketing strategies. The result was a highly diverse
set of projects that employed different methods, implemented different strategies,
and provided different services across different geographies.]
The document was labled-
WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU LOW-INCOME BROADBAND PILOT PROGRAM STAFF REPORT
WC DOCKET NO. 11-42 / MAY 22, 2015
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-15-624A1.pdf
Well there you go, as I came to understand it, and being human I probably
missed or misunderstood something.
If cheap internet wants to have a look and report their finding that’s great too.
I welcome a second opinion and understanding to these findings of mine.
This has been Part 6 and final part.
Steve
Steve says
Just a couple of comments to cheapinternet.com on their words above about the Lifeline Internet, that I’ve copied below.
Then a “umm” of abstract comparison, how our Government spends, what FCC needs to implement and a final note.
A-“the FCC will now go into red tape mode and begin seeking comments from the public and other interested parties”
B-“Wheeler put something in writing to make it look like progress is being made when it really isn’t.”
C-“If we sound a little testy about this subject, well, we are. The Lifeline Assistance program has been studied and test marketed and sliced and diced and we are quite frankly disgusted that this is the best the FCC can come up”
Could you be BOLD enough to post a LINK for us, your visitors, to be able to comment directly to the FCC, as you stated “the FCC is seeking comments from the public” A direct link to where ones comment would be at the precise place to do the most good. Frankly I get lost when going to the FCC site.
The best comments would be from the ones who would need and use and qualify for the Lifeline Internet, wouldn’t you say so.
“Schedule the public comment sessions.”-You cheapinternet.com
could be like our valedictorian to get this, if not done, at least get to the next step of a working application. You say you hear US, then help US be herd by the FCC.
If not a public LINK here on your site, then have some kind of screening, through a special email signup, offering to send our comments to FCC directly yourself, and the A, B, and C excerpts above would be addressed properly, this could be our strongest actions to the words of FCC that have little meaning otherwise.
This could be structured as a survey of questions we answer and then a comment section. **I don’t know – your the ones smart enough to offer this site and have the visitors and a following here, to do us all some GOOD**
Run it by your Attorneys at least.
Even the “a span of three decades” is research enough, to what is known, and now more towards like trying to reinvent the wheel.
Think how long it was from the First Rocket in space till we had a Man walk on the Moon. To what value other than bragging rights,
did this have to offer the poor in America ?
A thought I have is, the USA spent $138bn on the Iraq War-
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/19/business/iraq-war-contractors/
Back at that War time, I had seen a live Iraq location interview on TV, the reporter asked a Halliburton representative how much was the cost of a meal for our Troops there in Iraq.
The representative quickly side stepped the question with comments of the different requirements that our Troops had, like vegetarians, lacteous intolerance and such things, to were he admitted they didn’t have a breakdown on a per meal cost.
(Not like we don’t know how much Lifeline Internet is willing to subsidize per user, or a close figure there of).
Fact- “The controversial former subsidiary of Halliburton, which was once run by Dick Cheney, vice-president to George W. Bush, was awarded at least $39.5bn in federal contracts related to the Iraq war”
My humble question- Is the FCC waiting to get in to place their family, friends, and associate stockholders in a ranking place of POWER within the inter-structure of the organizations/constituents that will make up the Lifeline Internet ?
Something like what I herd that USDA “Food Guide Pyramid” established in 1992 and divided into six horizontal sections containing depictions of foods from each section’s food group.
When that of USDA’s leading and deciding board members had held stock shares in the food groups which they advised Americans to eat.
To where several books claims that food and agricultural associations exert undue political power on the USDA, only one of many incidents in which the food industry attempted to alter federal dietary recommendations in their own economic self-interest.
In one book Eat to Live that U.S. taxpayers must contribute $20 billion on price supports to artificially reduce the price of cattle feed to benefit the dairy, beef and veal industries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_pyramid_(nutrition)
Or is the long wait we have endured is that Wheeler is making sure that the Internets Monopoly already in place and this program Lifeline Internet doesn’t suffer the same abuses of that as the Phone program did ?
Our Government likes to spend Tax Payers money in it’s best interest, and not to the relief of poor and suffering in America or the reconstruction of it’s own inter-structure. Just how many Black Opps budgets are there and how are they funded, by means of the SS system, or fines levied against big business for wrong doing.
What about all the multi-millions spent for information to hunt down and capture or kill the top 12 opposing leaders of the Iraq war.
Or just the other day I caught something on the TV about some super duper computer that our government paid for of the study of outer space stuff. They said that, if they were to use individual PC computers that it would of cost them a BILLION dollars to have the same computing powers that this one has. I don’t recall how many square feet/acres it’s actual footprint was in size.
I wonder how many hours NSA will log on it.
Ever considered this free to the poor communication offerings are somehow to observe and control us. The more technology
inundates our lives the less privacy and individualism we have.
Big Brother and all the 3 letter departments are watching us.
I’ve herd that it’s not tax payers tax money being used to fund Lifeline assistance programs but, fees imposed by Universal Service Fund on telephone bills.
So now as the new program of Lifeline Internet, is it surely going to merit similar fees to current Internet users on their bills, or still be funded by the phones program and with the recovered waste and fraud of revenues recouped.
I think FCC should rethink and add a clause to the suppliers of these programs and have it be deemed as a Not For Profit entity and/or program.
To require it to be of the same consistency and uniformity of benefits, as it is not within the phone program now, that one states offering benefits of 250 minutes then another states offering benefits of being unlimited, meaning level across all states with current and future Lifeline assistance programs. So this new venture that one states offerings of internet speed be the same across all states what ever the internet speed will be.
That the FCC do something about the suppliers customer service making it a standard across all suppliers in the terms of viable, practicable; and workable resource to the customer.
Thank you cheapinternet.com for being up on news of the Lifeline Internet and a place to come and learn more, and maybe a rallying point for our voices to be herd by the far off ears of the FCC, good job-Atta boy.
patrice moynihan says
I have and qualify for the free cell phone through safelink/tracphone. Will I be notified when the free internet/low income becomes available and will it be with the same company?