Lifeline needs revolutionary, not evolutionary, change

[Commentary] In June, the Federal Communications Commission voted along party lines to update the Lifeline program for the digital age. Established in 1985, Lifeline was designed to help low-income consumers afford telephone service, access to which “has been crucial to full participation in our society and economy.” Now that the Internet has displaced the telephone as the nation’s primary communications network, the agency has decided that the Lifeline program should evolve as well. The FCC is right to focus on broadband access and to work towards narrowing America’s digital divide. But its proposed order is notable for how little the agency has dared to dream. The change to Lifeline should not be evolutionary -- it should be revolutionary.

The better solution would be to craft a new broadband-specific program from the ground up. Which segments of the population are at risk of being left behind in the digital revolution, and therefore need a subsidy? What services do they need in order to meaningfully participate in digital society? What type of broadband plan do those services require? And how much of a subsidy is needed to help the target population secure that plan? Only after these questions are answered can we design a revolutionary new broadband Lifeline program that assists those truly in need at minimal cost to the public.
[Daniel Lyons is an associate professor at Boston College Law School]