Biden requests $6B to ensure rural internet access

A rural internet subsidy program could soon be phased out, putting 23 million households at risk of losing internet access.

Back in October, the Biden Administration requested $6 billion in additional funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. The subsidy helps reduce the cost of high-speed internet to just $75 a month. Tom Perez, Senior Advisor to the President, shared some insight on the depth of the program:

“To give you some perspective, more households participate in the Affordable Connectivity program, at this point, than [those who] participate in the SNAP program. Both are essential parts of the social safety net and must continue to be essential parts of our social safety net.”

Tom Perez, Senior Advisor to the President

The Federal Communications Commission says they are no longer accepting new enrollments in the program due to the possibility of losing funding. The commission shares how affordable, reliable internet is critical for rural Americans:

“Millions and millions of households across the country [utilize the Affordable Connectivity Program]. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law created this program, our largest-ever effort to make broadband affordable nationwide. But now, we are on the brink of letting that success potentially slip away, disconnecting millions of families from their jobs, schools, markets, and information is not a solution, and we’ve come too far to turn back now.”

Paloma Perez, FCC

Perez says the Biden Administration is pushing for $90 billion in the Investing in America Agenda to provide all Americans access to high-speed internet by the end of the decade.