how poor people live - if you are below a certain income threshhold, your water, electricity and gas are all subsized by about 1/3 through your local utility company. If you can’t pay a bill or three, there are specific charities that give cash grants (usually one-time).
If you are single or have children, there are food box programs that you can register for that hand out food boxes each month. In my era, there was Senior Gleaners and Meals on Wheels. There’s similar programs and many of them. If you have children in the home, you get AFDC which is for their food, clothing and towards a share of the utilities/rent.
Also if you have children living with you, you are eligible for free or something like $10/mo internet from a national carrier, so children can get on line to do their school work. Some households will even qualify for a computer, too.
In short, society already provides at least 1/3 of the cost of basic utilities for the poor. And in many urban areas, internet is also subsidized.
(I don’t know if obama phones are still active - anyone know?)
I’m sure “phone assistance” is available. Used to be, people who were poor simply did not have certain things (like TVs, indoor plumbing, or a working automobile. Now, being poor means you’re stuck with an iPhone8.
I know they offer cheap broadband but that’s my point - there are probably fewer more effective motivators nowadays than faster internet speed, so use it to drive the desired behavior. Lose your job, no problem you still have internet access but it’s sloooooow and you can’t do any of the fun stuff. What it back? Just get a job.
I have a friend who had a mental breakdown years ago. She has been on SSI ever since. She gets a rent voucher. Her rent is around $600 and they pay a little over $400. She receives some food stamps and hits the church group food giveaways. They are everywhere. Since she is under a psychiatrists group therapy care one of the ‘workers’ goes to the Gleaners and brings her huge boxes of food. Once a year her utility bill backage is paid by a group here that that is almost all they do. Recently PG&E also instituted a forgiveness program. She lives in a small apartment complex with 3 other apartments. They all share a wireless internet connection. I think it’s less than $10 per month each. And they all have Obama phones. If they know where to get it there is lots of help out there.