Claudia Aleman and her family had just one way to access the internet four years ago: through their smartphones. Without internet access, her youngest daughter was unable to complete her homework on time, her parents could n’t manage online doctor visits, and English lessons she wanted to enroll in were beyond her ability to do so.
Next came a game- change: The federal government started , offering a payment that covered$ 30 , of the mother’s$ 80 quarterly net costs.
However, two months ago, Aleman received a letter from the Federal Communications Commission telling her that the Affordable Connectivity Software they had relied on would ending in May unless Congress gave her more financing.
” My father is the only one who works, and everything is so expensive right now”, Aleman said. ” Sometimes we do n’t have$ 30 to spare”.
” The programme made a significant difference in our existence”, she added. ” Without it, life is going to be tough, and I’m certain I’m not the only one who feels this way”.
The software, which was created after the crisis forced many Americans to turn to the computer to interact with work and school, has 23 million students nationwide — 1 in 6 U. S. households — including roughly 3 million in California.
Since 2021, it has provided a$ 30 monthly subsidy for low- income households and$ 75 for those on tribal lands. However, the$ 14.2 billion that was provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has run out.
The last month for full program benefits was April, but there was a partial discount for households in May.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel warned in a letter to Congress this month that the program’s lack of funding would have a significant impact, especially for seniors, veterans, schoolchildren, and people from rural and tribal communities.
Households across the country are now having to make difficult decisions about how much money they must cut, including food and gas, to keep their broadband service up, with some saying they are unsure whether they can afford to do so.
Internet service providers have their own programs designed for low-income individuals. People can enter their address on the , FCC’s broadband map , to find providers in their area. The California Public Utilities Commission also , provides a list of providers , with low- cost internet plans.
But finding a cheaper alternative can be difficult. Rural households sometimes have just one provider, and families who ca n’t afford it have little recourse.
Rep. Salud Carbajal, D- California, is among 228 bipartisan co- sponsors of the , Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024, which would provide an additional$ 7 billion to keep the program afloat for another year. Among the co- sponsors are 22 Republicans, including Rep. Young Kim of California.
You have to place your head in the sand to overlook the significance of what this is doing, according to Carbajal, who said that you must not comprehend what it is doing to boost our economy, boost the opportunities and skills for so many Americans. Allowing the program to expire, he said,” will undo the progress we’ve made in closing the digital divide. It would transport us to the “dark ages”
Some Republicans, who claim the program subsidies households that already had internet service, have criticized the bill, which has n’t been moved for a standalone floor vote in the GOP-led House. They also pointed to findings from the , FCC’s internal watchdog , last year that providers failed to comply with the program’s rules and improperly claimed funds.
In a , statement last year,  , Sens. John Thune, R- South Dakota, and Ted Cruz, R- Texas, said the program was” subject to massive waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars”.
In an FCC survey , of 5, 300 households conducted in December, more than two- thirds of respondents said they had inconsistent or no internet before joining the federal program, the majority citing affordability. One-third of respondents reported having both mobile and home internet service.
In October, the Biden administration sent Congress a supplemental , request for$ 6 billion  , to keep the program running, but it did n’t pass.
Letting the program lapse, even if it could be restarted later, would require additional spending on outreach and re- enrollment, Carbajal said. He worries that those who gain from it will experience whiplash and distrust of the federal government.
California recently allocated$ 70 million in federal funding to provide devices, training, and affordable internet service. Carbajal said he’s glad to see his state acting, but it’s not enough.
” We ca n’t look at it from a parochial standpoint”, he said. ” I’m looking out for the entire country,” reads the statement from the governor of my state.
Carbajal said he’s optimistic that something will happen before May 1. According to him, similar circumstances have turned out favorably at the last minute.
In Los Angeles, the federal program has played an important role in the county’s effort to close the digital divide, which was exacerbated by the COVID- 19 pandemic. Through local promotion, enrollment in Los Angeles grew to nearly 1 million households.
County officials worked with EveryoneOn and the nonprofit to spread the word. Families wo n’t understand why the program ended, according to Chief Executive Norma Fernandez, who worries that families will become confused when their internet bills rise.
” We tried so hard and provided tons of hands-on support to connect people, and then we’re going to pull it away from them,” she said. ” It’s going to cause hopelessness”.
For Aleman’s family, the pandemic changed everything. When schools first stopped operating, they relied on a program called Los Angeles County Unified School District to provide free internet to students who met their goals.
However, the service was unreliable because access would frequently thaw out or freeze up. So Aleman began separating Miranda, age 11, from her sister and nearby neighbors who had reliable internet access, so she could enroll in online courses and complete her homework.
” I think my daughter lost an entire school year”, she said.
Since schools reopened, their need for internet access at home has n’t changed. Most of Miranda’s assignments are still online.
After enlisting in the federal subsidy program in 2022 and having access to AT&, T. Miranda started turning in assignments on time. Aleman’s older daughters, 17 and 21, could do their schoolwork at home instead of at the library or relatives ‘ homes.
It also made a difference for her parents. Her father, who is diabetic, takes nutrition courses online, and her mother, who is asthmatic, needs regular video checkups with her doctor. And Aleman was finally able to communicate with his Mexican family regularly.
Aleman said she has been applying for jobs to help her husband pay for bills since learning that the program would end. In May, her husband will pay the internet bill, possibly with credit cards.
Beyond that, she said,” there’s always the library”.
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