The FCC's final proposal for a broadband internet service subsidy for low-income families will be making the rounds at the commission this week. The plan to offer a $9.25 per month broadband subsidy is designed to shrink the connectivity gap in the United States. As FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has said, only 48 percent of U.S. households making less than $25,000 a year can afford high-speed Internet access.
As part of the FCC's revision of the Lifeline program, the broadband subsidy will go to a vote on March 31 and, as the New York Times points out, is likely to be passed by the Democratic majority commission. Article