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Ajit Pai Faces Heat Over Proposal To Take Away Poor People's Broadband Plans (arstechnica.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the if-you-can't-stand-the-heat-get-out-of-the-kitchen dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Democratic senators yesterday asked Ajit Pai to abandon a proposal that the senators say would take subsidized broadband plans away from "millions of Americans." The Federal Communications Commission chairman's plan for the Lifeline subsidy program would force most users of the program to find new providers. But such users could have trouble finding replacement plans or similar prices because Pai's proposal would prevent all telecom resellers from offering Lifeline-subsidized service. "Your proposal impacts over 70 percent of current Lifeline-recipient households by eliminating their wireless providers from the program, leaving less affordable and fewer Lifeline options, while making it more difficult for the companies trying to serve Lifeline customers," Senate Democrats wrote in the letter to Pai yesterday. "Instead of cutting the program, we should ensure Lifeline reaches more Americans in need of access to communication services." The letter was written by Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

2 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. Re:so what by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1, Troll

    So we should be happy because this subsidy is being removed and you proposed an alternative. How very generous. How many people are going to actually be able to make use.of your alternative?

    Why am I arguing? If you're complaining about SJW, then you have beyond all reasonable sounded doubt demonstrated that you're a total plonker.

    --
    SJW n. One who posts facts.
  2. Re: so what by c6gunner · · Score: 1, Troll

    The reality is if you don't like society then you are free to move away from it, with your money, and become a hermit.

    Right, so we don't need social programs to help the poor, because if they don't like being poor they should just move the fuck away from our society. That sound about right to you?