The famous FCC – Federal communications Commission USA – a long time already insists on the need to reform their own subsidies to Lifeline towards more active assistance to low-income Americans access to the Internet. And, obviously, from conversations FCC is going to get down to business, starting to implement promised reform in life. The Commission has proposed to allocate to the poor American families by $9.25 a month for the broadband.
In accordance with the FCC statement, the subsidy can apply on both fixed and mobile connectivity, and will cover not only simple access, but also packages that include voice services, moreover, without restrictions on connection quality. That is to say, poor Americans can rely on the Internet of the same quality as the “vast majority” of their more affluent compatriots (in the United States is on average 10 Mbps input and 1 Mbit/s output), plus can get access to mobile tariff plans, in which the limitations of voice communication via mobile communication is not provided.
Along the way, the FCC plans from 1 December 2017 to begin a phased reduction of subsidies to conventional mobile communication with the prospect to turn these programs over the next 2 years.
New FCC initiative has been the subject of active discussions in social networks and specialized forums. There is an opinion that the planned changes to Lifeline far from ideal. Especially the interested public, it is surprising the promised speed “broadband” 10 Mbps, despite the fact that his own FCC definition of broadband is a channel that provides a data transfer rate of not less than 25 Mbit/s. Also the Americans are interested in how the $9 will help to pay for “fast Internet” if at present such service in the country is much more expensive.
But the FCC is confident that a reformed Lifeline will help low-income citizens “in the job search, how to do business at home and household works”, and they don’t have to go to McDonald’s or the school library to connect to the Internet. Voting on changes to Lifeline is scheduled for March 31.
