Millions of families are on the wrong side of the digital divide

The solutions enacted by the Federal Communications Commission and increased funding for hotspots are commendable but insufficient. The tens of millions of American families on the wrong side of the digital divide deserve more than temporary funding for temporary fixes. People on the wrong side of the divide — often immigrants, elderly and low-income families with children — are further marginalized when they have no or intermittent access to broadband. Fortunately, there is a solution. The FCC’s Lifeline program provides funding for connecting low-income families to telecommunications technologies. The program provides subsidies for traditional telephone service, mobile service or limited broadband service (one per household). It badly needs modernization and increased funding. Modernization and adequate funding of Lifeline would provide a much-needed comprehensive and permanent solution for the tens of millions of Americans on the wrong side of the digital divide. The next stimulus bill should provide funding for short-term connectivity and fund a modernized Lifeline program so our nation won’t need to resort to short-term or temporary fixes in the event of a future crisis.

[Larry Irving is a former U.S. assistant secretary of commerce]