FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel: Cutting Monthly Internet Subsidies 'Challenging'

Acting Federal Communications Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said she’s pleased that the Senate infrastructure deal would codify the pandemic relief program known as the Emergency Broadband Benefit — but she is wary about one provision that would slash the monthly internet subsidy by 40 percent. “I do think it would be challenging for the agency to reduce the support from $50 a month to $30 a month,” she said. “But we will take whatever [the] legislation hands us.” Congress created the broadband subsidy program as part of the December 2020 pandemic aid package, slating $4.2 billion to help low-income Americans with their internet bills. The bipartisan Senate infrastructure plan would bolster the program with billions more, though at that lower monthly subsidy. So far, more than 5.5 million households have signed up since the FCC launched the $50 benefit, Chairwoman Rosenworcel noted, adding that about 200,000 new households sign up every week. These numbers, she said, demonstrate the need for a robust successor program once this temporary one runs out of funds. She is not alone in questioning the implications of slashing the benefit, however, and her views could prove influential among Capitol Hill negotiators eyeing future FCC funding. House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) called the proposed cut a source of “real concerns.”