Connecting Low-Income Families Using Broadband Vouchers

Major federal broadband consumer subsidy programs that have been implemented, in the U.S. (the Lifeline, the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB), and the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)) are rebates administered through broadband providers. Yet, uptake in these programs among eligible households has been modest. Direct-to-consumer voucher subsidies have been widely applied to non-broadband social benefit programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), yet there is limited implementation for broadband. There has been increased advocacy for direct-to-consumer broadband voucher programs to replace rebates on consumers’ bills because, some argue, they reduce administrative costs, improve program transparency, and increase competition by supporting broader connectivity options and providers. At its conclusion, ABC connected over 200,000 students (in 107,000 households). Ultimately, the success of The Alabama Broadband Connectivity for Students program presents evidence of three critical design elements for increasing uptake in broadband affordability programs: (1) Targeted outreach through trusted messengers; (2) Removing barriers to enrollment; and (3) Combine multiple mechanisms/network technologies.

See the full working paper for a detailed overview of the method, results, and discussion of findings here. 

[Erezi Ogbo is the winner of the TPRC and the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society 2022 Early Career Scholar Award]