Lifeline: Integral for Access
Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a huge step towards closing the digital divide. The agency voted to begin modernizing the Lifeline program to connect low-income households to the Internet. Lifeline, established by the Reagan Administration in 1985, originally helped make landline telephone service affordable for low-income households. In 2008, the FCC reformed Lifeline to allow subsidies for mobile telephones. Currently, qualifying households are eligible for a $9.25 subsidy.