The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expected to present a new proposal that would extend subsidies to low-income Americans who want to get online. The five-member commission, which is directed by three Democrats and two Republicans, intends to expand the current “Lifeline” program, which subsidizes income-eligible residents’ cellphone bills, to also encompass billing for Internet service. The plan dovetails philosophically with the FCC’s recent net neutrality proposal, which regards the Internet not as a luxury but as a necessity. By elevating it to a utility, the commission can argue that low-income Americans who can’t afford to pay for Internet access...