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Back in the pandemic depths of December 2020, when so many Americans were working, learning and performing essential daily tasks online, the Federal Communications Commission launched an emergency program to help low-income people connect to high-speed internet with a $50-per-month subsidy. That was extended with the Affordable Connectivity Program, which has provided $30 a month for internet service.

In 2020, 18 percent of people living on tribal lands had no way to sign up for broadband internet service, according to the American Indian Policy Institute. That’s compared to 4 percent in the rest of the country. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing broadband disparities on tribal lands in the US. While federal funding has been allocated to address the issue, supply chain issues and labor shortages have slowed progress. The broadband infrastructure on tribal lands is often outdated and underfunded, making it difficult for residents to access online resources and services.

The Federal Communications Commission is set to release the first round of its updated national broadband map.

The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act President Joe Biden signed in November 2021 included $65 billion to get high-speed internet to more people. Much of that funding is expected to be channeled into rural and low-income communities. Now, exactly how all those billions will be distributed is still being worked out. In the meantime, many states aren’t waiting. They are boosting broadband access using another pot of cash, tapping into pandemic relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act  — a law that included about $360 billion for broadband investments and support.

One policy issue that has haunted every Federal Communications Commission in the past decade, and then some, is net neutrality. That’s the idea that internet service providers have to treat all content equally and can’t slow down or charge more for certain kinds of content. Rules have ping-ponged between administrations. Obama’s FCC put neutrality rules in place in 2015 and Trump’s appointee repealed them in 2017. New Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel supports net neutrality rules. She said, "I think things are always sturdier when they’re written into law.

Congress created a $3 billion fund to provide low-income Americans with $50 per month for broadband service. The subsidies start May 12 and the program is, for now, temporary.