more welfare: high speed internet is a right [Archive]

cheka.

31st March 2016, 10:16 AM

http://www.cnet.com/news/why-everyone-deserves-broadband-no-matter-how-much-they-make-q-a/

The former newspaper publisher and public utility regulator from South Carolina is one of three Democrats on the five-member FCC, which oversees and develops policy that governs communications in the US. She has worked closely with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, a fellow Democrat, to craft a proposal that would expand the government's $1.5 billion phone subsidy program, known as Lifeline, to help low-income families pay for broadband.

People who are eligible for other federal programs for poor or disabled Americans and meet certain income-based requirements qualify for the Lifeline subsidy. Examples of those other programs include Medicaid, veteran pensions, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the federal food stamp program known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The FCC will vote on whether to open the proposal up to public comment at its monthly meeting Thursday.

The Internet has become central to the daily lives of millions of people for work and play, but not everyone has access to broadband. While virtually every affluent household in the US has broadband access, just 48 percent of those earning less than $25,000 can afford such service, according to the FCC. Affordability is still the largest single barrier to broadband adoption in low-income households, the agency says.

This reboot is designed to alleviate the issue.

Created in 1985, Lifeline was initially designed to provide discounts on traditional phone service for low-income families. It was revised in 2005 to add prepaid wireless mobile plans. However, Lifeline has been controversial as fraud and abuse of the program have been rampant over the years.

CNET spoke with Clyburn by phone, ahead of Thursday's vote. Below is an edited version of the conversation.

Q: Why is Lifeline reform needed now?

Clyburn: When Lifeline was established in 1985, it addressed gaps in voice service. We don't live in a voice-only world anymore. Broadband is how we communicate. Without it, millions of families are on the wrong side of the opportunity divide. We already have a program designed to bridge affordability, and we're modernizing it for the Information Age

Cebu_4_2

31st March 2016, 11:57 AM

Chairman Wheeler & Commissioner Clyburn Propose Rules to Modernize Lifeline Program
to Provide Affordable Broadband for Low-Income Americans

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, working closely with fellow Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, is circulating for consideration by the full Commission an Order to modernize the FCC’s Lifeline program to efficiently and effectively meet a critical 21st Century need: making broadband more affordable for low-income consumers.
Congress directed the FCC to ensure that all Americans have access to advanced telecommunications and information services. Since 1985, Lifeline subsidies have helped make phone service affordable for low-income Americans. Now, Lifeline must evolve to meet today’s most pressing communications need: access to broadband. With affordability still the largest single barrier to broadband adoption in low-income households, the draft Order would reboot Lifeline to enable all Americans to share in the opportunities broadband connectivity provides, while building on recent reforms to the program. The proposed Order will be voted on by the full Commission at the March 31 Open Meeting.

Draft Order: Modernizing Lifeline for a Digital Era The draft Order proposes that, for the first time, low income consumers could apply the $9.25 per month support to stand-alone broadband service as well as bundled voice and data service packages. The Order would free up the Lifeline marketplace to encourage wide participation in the program by broadband providers, giving consumers competitive service options. Minimum service standards would ensure that supported services meet modern needs. Building substantially on the Commission’s landmark 2012 reforms (http://go.usa.gov/cGykW (http://go.usa.gov/cGykW)) of the program, the Order would establish a National Eligibility Verifier to further deter waste, fraud and abuse, while reducing provider burden. In addition, a budget mechanism would limit Lifeline's cost to ratepayers. The proposed Order:
· Provides support for robust broadband
o Allows Lifeline support for stand-alone mobile or fixed broadband Internet access service
o Lifeline consumers may also receive support for bundling of fixed or mobile voice and broadband
o Supports mobile voice with unlimited talk through the end of 2019, after which Lifeline providers of mobile services will be required to include broadband as part of any supported service.
o Support for fixed-only voice service remains in light of ongoing affordability challenges
o Helps close the homework gap by promoting appropriate Lifeline-supported mobile devices with Wi-Fi functionality
o Requires a mid-2019 program review and report by the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau

· Ensures that Lifeline subscribers receive services meeting 21st Century needs
o Sets minimum standards for broadband to enable consumers to fully participate in digital society:
§ Fixed speed standard based on what a substantial majority of consumers receive (currently 10 Mbps downloads/1 Mbps uploads)
§ Sets minimum monthly fixed broadband usage allowance standard of 150 GB
§ Phases in minimum standards for mobile broadband service, starting at 500 MB per month of 3G data, increasing to 2 GB per month by the end of 2018
§ Requires unlimited minutes for mobile voice service, starting in December 1, 2016, reflecting typical plans in the market
§ Anticipates technological advances in the convergence of mobile voice and data. Support for standalone mobile voice will be gradually phased down over three years: reduced from $9.25 per month to $7.25 on Dec. 1, 2017, $5.25 on Dec. 1, 2018, and no support after Dec, 1, 2019
§ Mobile voice remains eligible for full support as part of a mobile voice and data bundle

· Frees up the Lifeline marketplace to encourage participation by broadband providers, increasing availability and consumer choice
o Unlocks Lifeline for broadband services by providing streamlined, nationwide entry for a new category of providers, called Lifeline Broadband Providers
o Establishes third-party National Eligibility Verifier, reducing cost to providers of verifying subscriber eligibility
o Modernizes rules to improve program flexibility, reduce burdens, and incentivize participation by providers

· Builds on 2012 reforms and closes any remaining vulnerabilities to curb waste, fraud and abuse
o Establishes a National Eligibility Verifier as neutral third-party entity that removes the opportunity for providers to enroll ineligible subscribers
o Refines list of federal programs that may be used to validate Lifeline eligibility to those that support electronic validation, are most accountable, and best identify people needing support (SNAP, SSI, Medicaid, Veterans Pension, Tribal), along with income-based eligibility
o Increases transparency by making program data publicly available and understandable, including subscriber counts by provider and uniform disclosure of annual subscriber recertification data

· Establishes budget mechanism to minimize impact on ratepayers
o Sets budget of $2.25 billion, indexed to inflation, sufficient to allow for increased participation generated by support for broadband service
o Requires FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau to notify Commission when spending reaches 90 percent of the budget and to prepare an analysis of the causes of spending growth, followed by Commission action within 6 months.
o Maintains current $9.25 monthly household subsidy

These and other changes will fully modernize Lifeline to support broadband service and obtain the highest possible value from the expenditure of Universal Service funds.

-FCC-