President Joe Biden spoke about a new high-speed internet program that will lower costs for low-income Americans at a White House press conference on Monday.
“In the past, 30 bucks a month meant you had to settle for a slow internet service, unless you wanted to pay a heck of a lot more out of pocket,” he said, per The Guardian.
Driving the news: He revealed that in a partnership with 20 providers, including AT&T, Comcast and Verizon, eligible families can receive high-speed internet at a cheaper cost, or in some cases, for free, as a part of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
Details: The subsidies will range from $30 monthly to $75 monthly.
- Those with an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, or those who are a member of an assistance program — like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA) or Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit — are eligible for the discount.
- An estimated 48 million households, accounting for 40% of the country, will qualify for this program, according to a fact sheet provided by the White House.
What they’re saying: “It’s time for every American to experience the social, economic, health, employment and educational benefits of universal scaled access to the Internet,” said AT&T CEO John Stankey, per NPR.
Flashback: Out of the $1 trillion infrastructure package passed by Congress last year, $14.2 billion in funding was dedicated to the ACP.
Noteworthy: Americans can ascertain their eligibility or sign up for the program by visiting www.getinternet.gov.