Posted on 03/08/2016 9:55:23 AM PST by reaganaut1
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission circulated Tuesday a final proposal seeking approval for a $9.25 monthly subsidy for low-income Americans to get broadband Internet access.
Since last year, the FCC has been considering revamping the $1.5 billion annual program, called Lifeline, which has helped lower income Americans get access to telecommunications technologies since 1985.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has said he wants to give those receiving the subsidy a choice of using it for phone services, high-speed Internet, or both. But households will get only a single $9.25 a month subsidy that would apply to both services. The program currently helps about 12 million U.S. households afford landline and mobile phones, according to agency estimates.
The commission will vote on the proposal at its March 31 meeting and will set a budget of $2.25 billion a year indexed for inflation for the program. The additional budget would allow more than 5 million additional households to take advantage of the program, but the FCC does not expect the entire budget will be used immediately.
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
Proper role of government?
You know it will have to be increased to the quality of a t1 type connection used in business. In other words we will pay for them to have a better connection than the taxpayer.
Great. Something to drive up the cost of internet access.
No, in Bernie’s Amerika, broadband is a human right.
It would be easier and cheaper to install wi-fi on every fifth light pole........................
If low income have money for hair pieces, hair color and extensions and I phones...they can afford to pay their own internet service..
I'm far from wealthy but I don't run to the government for support..
Many considered LOW INCOME...need to look for a job...and get off the streets, marching for their causes.
The “Right to Broadband” crowd will show up at any Article V Convention. Mark my words.
Why not provide them a car, housing, food, and medical care at our expense - Oh wait, except for the car they already do.
The law should be this: Any proposed granting of free stuff can not be proposed, discussed, or mentioned unless:
1) The accompanying cost to taxpayers.
2) The projected costs passed along as costs to consumers (i.e. fees, surcharges, etc.).
3) A clear and concise business case is presented.
4) A 3/4th majority of congress votes approval of it.
5) a resignation letter is submitted from those same congress persons.
Obamanet
And it's getting worse. Soon, ___________ will be seen as a human right, to be paid for by the government.
Fill in that blank with anything you want for free. Shoes, CD players, lawn care, movie tickets, whatever.
I thought minimum wage took care of all that?? Seems the “minimum wage” in the USA is over $50,000, as that seems to be the minimum these vote buyers demand everyone must live at.
Abso-damn-lutley not.
$9.25 might as well be $109.95. The Gimmedats want free.
Yup... it's right there in the penumbra of the Constitution. </s
No. Get rid of Obamaphones. Get rid of all Internet subsidies. Get rid of all FedGov actions that are outside the enumerated powers in the Constitution.
Poor people who want Internet can go to the public library. Poor people who want a phone can borrow one or use a payphone (pay phones would come back if we didn’t have subsidized phones for the welfare class). With less government spending on nonsense, we could get by with lower taxes, and people could support themselves on jobs that they are currently rejecting. With less free stuff, people would work to get the money to buy stuff they want that would no longer be free.
I’m retired and budget my limited income so I can afford Wi-Fi in my home, and it’s not the top speed. I’m already paying for some else’s free phone service.
The states have never amended the Constitution to expressly give the feds the power to appropriate taxes for subsidizing broadband. But there is nothing stopping the states from doing it.
Obamanet.
Where can you get broadband for anywhere near $9.25/mo? Surely they don’t expect folks to dig into their beer, cigs, and lottery ticket money to make up the difference do they?
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