A 21st Century Safety Net

[Commentary] On June 2nd, the Senate Commerce Committee will convene a hearing on the future of the Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program. Given the recent GAO report on the program and the FCC report on the broadband Lifeline trial, some folks might argue that Lifeline is irreversibly broken and incapable of accomplishing any credible goals. While I would agree that the existing program is broken and in dire need of reform, I think it would be a mistake to conclude that the program cannot be fixed and modernized for the 21st Century. I was in the Reagan White House when the Lifeline program was debated and ultimately created. Back then the goal of the program was not to increase telephone penetration, but rather to create a program to help low income Americans through a difficult time in life by providing them a tool to get back on their feet. In short, Lifeline was envisioned as part of our country’s social safety net for those with very low incomes or out of work.

Communications technology -- voice service then -- was the critical tool that provided access to emergency services, friends and family, and job opportunities. If you had a phone, you had a chance. Fast forward 30+ years to the 21st Century. People still fall on hard times and they still need safety net programs like Lifeline. But increasingly in today’s society, having a voice line is not enough. The way people find job opportunities today is different than it was back in 1985. We’ve gone from want ads in the newspaper to posting available jobs online. Apps like Facebook and LinkedIn have become important job networking tools. Education and training courses -- even the process of applying for a job -- have all moved online, along with needed services like child care. In short, Internet access has quickly become the more needed Lifeline technology for the 21st century. If we still believe this part of the social safety net was soundly conceived and is still needed today -- and I do -- we need to focus on fixing the program to eliminate abuses and modernizing it to meet today’s needs, all while preserving the essence of the program’s good intentions.