Advocates are desperately trying to get more people phone and internet service

Many advocates are calling on the Federal Communications Commission to significantly expand its Lifeline program. More than 250 organizations called on the FCC to provide low-income households with unlimited talk and text plans. The groups have also asked the agency to create an emergency broadband benefit that would provide eligible households with $50 per month to cover the cost of high-speed internet connections, where they are available. Eric Null, US Policy Manager at Access Now, argues that the FCC should ensure the Lifeline program lives up to its name during this time. "The FCC should not kick low-income people while they're down," he says. "The agency should instead protect and expand the program in ways that benefit low-income communities who rely on the service."

Jenna Leventoff, Senior Policy Counsel at Public Knowledge, likewise called on the government to do everything in its power to get high-speed connections to as many people as possible. "Congress and the FCC need to step up and increase everyone's speeds to at least 25/3 Mbps, where feasible," she said, noting that these speeds are necessary for everything from online classrooms to telemedicine services. "This will enable more Americans to access the online services that they need during this pandemic."