Internet Access No Luxury

Few technological advancements have been adopted faster and with more societal impact as the internet and the plethora of related applications made possible by the internet.  The worldwide web, social media like Facebook and Twitter, and countless other services have reshaped commerce, social interaction, the media, education and most every other aspect of our daily lives. It should come as no surprise that last week Federal regulators voted to expand a $1.5 billion telephone subsidy program to bring broadband to many disadvantaged in our society.

The Federal Communications Commission approved expanding the Lifeline program to include discounts for broadband Internet service. This decision expands these services to the Reagan Era program, which was originally designed to provide subsidized land-line telephone service to low-income households. Starting in December 2016, commercial broadband providers offering discounted internet service to eligible Lifeline customers will receive a $9.25 subsidy per Lifeline subscriber.

Few would argue today that having access to the internet is a luxury.  Applying for a job, interacting with government agencies, and accessing expanded educational opportunities all rely on being able to go online.  In many ways internet access has become a basic utility like water, sewer and electric power.

The US has a long history of assisting those of less means to reap benefits of new technologies.  For example, the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, provided low cost federal loans for the installation of electrical distribution systems to serve isolated rural areas of the United States. The funding was channeled through cooperative electric power companies, many of which still exist today.  That Act helped to improve the living standards of the people not only by giving them electricity in their homes but also by making it possible for industry to locate in these rural areas bringing jobs and economic growth.

It took about 60 years for home electrification to be seen as a non-luxury item and spark the beginning of a government subsidy program for the disadvantaged.  It took almost 100 years for telephone service to be recognized as a necessity.  The first internet provider began commercial service in the US and Australia about 1990.  So the path of internet access from being considered a luxury to a necessity has been much quicker.