FCC Votes To Subsidize Broadband Connections For Low-Income Households

Mark Wilson writes: Today the FCC voted in favor of updating its Lifeline program to include broadband. This would mean that households surviving on low incomes would be able to receive help paying for a broadband connection. It might not be as important as electricity or water, but having a broadband connection is seen as being all but essential these days. From helping with education and job hunting, to allowing for home working, the ability to get online is seen as so vital by some that there have been calls for it to be classed as a utility. The Lifeline program has been running since the 80s, and originally provided financial help to those struggling to pay for a phone line. It was expanded in 2008 to include wireless providers, and it is hoped that this third expansion will help more people to get online.

Comments

Re:I get both sides of the argument.

[Anonymous Coward]

but there are as many people collecting food stamps undeservedly as legitimately.

No, there aren't. The "welfare queen" narrative is 1% fact to 99% fantasy.

Re:Do they ever follow up?

[Wycliffe]

Whether you agree or disagree with drug testing, the cost is just a ruse. Not only could you test randomly, you could do like the IRS does audits
and only test 1 in 10 or 1 in 1000 people making the cost negligible. You could also use the already existing anonymous welfare fraud reporting
system for people to report suspected drug users so you could more carefully select which people you "audit".

The big thing I hear about with drug testing though is that it hurts the children but if the parent is on drugs and we are not going to take the children
away then maybe a compromise would be to continue to give them food stamps but at the same time continuously monitor them for drug rehab
because it's not good for the children to be in a house with a drug addict either.