Is the US Government’s Lifeline Service Really a Lifeline?

Lifeline is a Federal Communications Commission program that provides subsidized phone and internet services to low-income people and families. Those who use the program are provided with a landline phone, cellphone, or at-home broadband for free or at a discounted rate. But many lawmakers say the government is not promoting the service aggressively enough. More than 140 senators and representatives wrote a letter to the FCC asking the agency to work with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services to notify people who qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid that they can also receive discounted phone or broadband services. Legislators are also asking the FCC if it knows the number of individuals who are newly eligible for the program since the COVID-19 outbreak and if it knows how many of those potential users have actually enrolled. Advocates say not enough people know about the program, that there needs to be better outreach and marketing. Many say that the program must also evolve to meet today’s broadband demands.