Americans are saving half a billion dollars per month on home internet costs thanks to a federal benefit passed as part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, Vice President Kamala Harris will announce Monday in South Carolina.
(Bloomberg) — Americans are saving half a billion dollars per month on home internet costs thanks to a federal benefit passed as part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, Vice President Kamala Harris will announce Monday in South Carolina.
That represents a 40% increase since the federal government launched a website to promote the program last May, with more than 16 million American households now enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program.
The uptick is an encouraging sign for the White House, which has been eager to demonstrate tangible benefits from the flurry of legislation passed during the last Congress. Recent polling suggests that many Americans are unaware of projects and benefits included in the legislation, and President Joe Biden has spoken frequently about his hope that perceptions of his administration will improve as the legislation is implemented.
Harris is also expected to announce specific efforts designed to improve internet access for minority students. The vice president will unveil a new $175 million award from the Commerce Department for internet access, equipment, and training to benefit universities and colleges that significantly serve minority students, according to White House fact sheet obtained by Bloomberg.
The vice president, who is expected to appear alongside Representative Jim Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, will also announce a new program designed to help historically Black colleges and universities access federal Internet resources during her visit to Columbia. Clyburn is a top political ally of the president — providing Biden a key endorsement ahead of the pivotal South Carolina primary – and Black voters were pivotal to Democrats’ success in the recent midterm and presidential elections.
The administration wants to continue growing awareness of the program — particularly among minority and low-income communities most likely to qualify.
A survey conducted last year by the Morning Consult found that only 23% of adults said they had heard “a lot” or some” about the broadband benefit program, including only 17% of low-income adults. In January, the Government Accountability Office issued a report calling on the Federal Communications Commission to strengthen consumer outreach to ensure the program was better meeting its goals — and faulting the government for advertisements it said were poorly translated to other languages.
Earlier this year, the FCC hired an outside communications firm to raise awareness of the program, according to federal contracting data. The vice president has asked state and local governments to help distribute information about the program as well.
“This call to action led to tens of millions of text messages, emails, letters and flyers sent directly to consumers to inform them about this opportunity,” the White House said in a fact sheet.
Hundreds of internet service providers — including AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc., and Comcast Corp. — participate in the program, which provides reduced cost plans and federal subsidies up to $30 per month. Families who qualify can also receive discounts on computers or tablets. A total of $65 billion was appropriated in the bipartisan infrastructure bill to expand internet access.
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