The federal government is rolling out record amounts of broadband funding. It could be just the beginning

The new broadband affordability programs [the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program and the Emergency Connectivity Fund] are just temporary — and advocates say lawmakers need to develop a long-term program that will ensure low-income Americans can afford the Internet. “We’re not going back to 2019,” said Benton Senior Fellow and Public Advocate Gigi Sohn. “The digital divide doesn’t end when the pandemic ends. We’re going to be living from now on in a hybrid world.” “The pandemic has solidified a consensus, a bipartisan consensus, about the importance of broadband,” said Benton Senior Counselor Andrew Jay Schwartzman. Schwartzman said the temporary programs could serve as a “test case” as the White House and lawmakers weigh more long-term solutions to ensure Americans can afford Internet access. “This is a sets a path for how we can in the future the digital divide address the inequities in coverage,” he said. 

The Federal Communications Commission's handling of the new broadband benefit is being closely watched amid the broader debate. Sohn says the program will be successful if the money runs out, because it will show the agency has been effective in publicizing the program to needy people. However, it could be a challenge to reach out to people who aren't online. She said there needs to be investment in TV and radio ads, as well as in local and foreign-language newspapers. “Where rubber hits road is making sure people in affected communities know this program exists and how to apply for it,” Sohn said. “You can’t do that online, you have to do that in the media that people read and people watch.”