Twenty-three million families in the U.S. will have bigger internet bills starting in May. That's because a federal broadband subsidy program they're enrolled in is nearly out of money. Dozens of people joined Biden administration officials, advocates and U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, at a Washington public library on Tuesday to make a last-ditch plea to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program, a subsidy created by Congress and touted by President Joe Biden as part of his push to bring internet access to every U.S. household. “They need access to high-speed internet just like they need access to electricity,” Sen. Welch told the gathering.
The Affordable Connectivity Program, which offers a $30 subsidy, helping millions of households across the U.S. connect to the internet, is slated to expire.
For Cindy Westman, $30 buys a week’s worth of gas to drive to medical appointments and run errands. It’s also how much she spent on her monthly internet bill before the federal Affordable Connectivity Program stepped in and covered her payments. “When you have low income and you are living on disability and your daughter’s […] The post End of internet subsidies for low-income households threatens telehealth access appeared first on Daily Montanan.