#Internet Affordability

[ivygorgon]

AN OPEN LETTER to THE U.S. CONGRESS

Fund the Affordable Connectivity Program NOW!

130 so far! Help us get to 250 signers!

I’m a concerned constituent writing to urge you to fund the Affordable Connectivity Program or ACP. Digital connectivity is a basic necessity in our modern world and the internet must be treated as a public utility. We use the internet to apply for jobs, perform our jobs, receive telehealth medical treatment, and pay bills, and students use it to complete homework assignments. But for millions of people in rural and urban areas, and Tribal communities, the internet is a luxury they cannot afford. Failure by Congress to fund this program will force millions of households already on tight budgets to choose between being able to stay online or potentially losing access to this essential service. If Congress doesn’t act fast, funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program will run out and more than 22 million Americans -- 1 in 6 households -- will lose this vital service. The implications of this will be devastating. In 2019, 18% of Native people living on Tribal land had no internet access; 33% relied on cell phone service for the internet; and 39% had spotty or no connection to the internet at home on their smart phone. The ACP has enrolled 320,000 households on Tribal lands -- important progress. The largest percentage gains in broadband access are in rural areas. Nearly half of military families are enrolled in ACP, as are one in four African American and Latino households. Losing access and training on using computers and the internet will have devastating impacts on all these communities as technology becomes increasingly integral to work, education, health, and our everyday lives. Without moves to address tech inequality, low-income communities and communities of color are heading towards an “unemployment abyss.” The Affordable Connectivity Program has broad bipartisan support because it is working. As your constituent, I am urging you to push for renewed funding for the ACP before it runs out in the coming weeks.

▶ Created on April 11 by Jess Craven

📱 Text SIGN PJXULY to 50409

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#JESSCRAVEN101 #PJXULY #resistbot #petition #Affordable Connectivity Program #Digital Divide #Internet Access #Broadband Access #ACP Funding #Congress Funding #Public Utility #Internet Equality #Telehealth #Telemedicine #Internet Inequality #Digital Inclusion #Internet For All #Rural Connectivity #Bipartisan Support #Internet Infrastructure #FCC #ACP Support #Digital Navigation #Online Education #Remote Work #Job Access #Telecommunications #Internet Service #Internet Affordability #Digital Equity

[morebird]

Just wanted to let everyone know that if you wanted a print of either of the "priests" I added both of them to my inprnt shop

#some people asked if they can print it themselves #please dont do that #and if you do that maybe keep it to yourself #i would understand if I didn't had a print shop but like it's linked everywhere #and if you cant afford it's here on the internet for you to admire for free on your screen

[gawki]

Ai art fuck off

#artists on tumblr #sketch #ink sketch #imagine if they actually made tools for artists instead of this weird unethically used gimmick #cooler painting programs or like idk something that didn't just scrape the entire internet for profit #art #ink #drawing #people really think artists gonna sue individual ai artists like there's any profit in that #like artists could actually afford that money and time wise #it's self-centered fools who think that's what this fight is about #we just don't want our shit taken without permission and used as fodder for corporations to print money #without throwing a single bone at artists #artists are devalued and it shows and just keeps showingggghhhhhhggghg #☠️

[awkward-teabag]

Love (cannot emphasis how much sarcasm there is in that word) that an official Canadian government response to high cellphone rates is to switch carriers.

Switch it to what? We basically have three companies since one was allowed to eat the forth (with the government saying it wasn't anti-competition and the company eating the other pinky promising they wouldn't jack rates up). Even the smaller companies have to rent infrastructure from the Big Three so there's only so much they can do if that rent costs an arm and a leg.

And that's not touching on how many "small companies" are actually just subsidiaries of the Big Three. You may save $5 but you're still with Telus/Rogers/Bell.

Or that the actual small companies tend to have shit coverage because they don't have the infrastructure available to them and are prevented from getting it. Or their traffic is throttled in favour of the Big Three's customers. Or both.

Or that they're extremely regional thus aren't an option for a huge chunk of Canada's population.

We have no true options and the government has shown time and again that they're fine with monopolies, in multiple industries, and don't care when said monopolies jack up prices to make shareholders and the c-suite more money at the expense of everyone else. At most there will be a verbal slap on the wrist and a giftcard for $25 that people have to register for, for a decade and a half of price gouging.

It's not talked a whole lot about outside the country from what I've seen and heard but Canada is a country of monopolies. A handful of companies own nearly everything, every province has a family or two that owns a hell of a lot (Nova Scotia is basically owned by one family at this point), and our government ignores it. Even the branch that is supposed to be against monopolies is fine with mergers and takeovers in most cases.

Because, you know, the company said it totally wouldn't use consumers' lack of options to increase prices.

#canada #so much of our infrastructure and critical construction such as housing #has been pawned off for decades to private companies #and i forgot to mention one (1) family owns the bridge that is a major international corridor between canada and the us #which is apparently fine even though they fought tooth and nail to stop a bridge they don't own from being built #like our housing crisis can be traced back to the government deciding to stop building public housing in the 90s #because they figured private developers would pick up the slack #affordable apartments don't bring in much money so we got decades of cheap-ass 'luxury condos' instead #and once airbnb became a thing we got entire buildings with units <300sqft #and of course when the party in charge rotates between conservatives and neolibs nothing changes and that can gets kicked down the road #and keeps getting kicked until something collapses and they see the chance to fully privatize an industry #something similar is happening to our healthcare system too #it has been left to languish for years/decades with funding freezes and cuts #and private companies are quick to jump in and get the government stamp of approval to do [thing] that the public system clearly can't do #when [thing] would absolutely be possible if it was actually funded and/or staffed #so many communities were cut off when greyhound closed up shop because there's no government inter-city transportation #we lost internet/banking/cell service/etc nation-wide because one of the big three decided to push an update to live without redundancies #and it bugged and took the entire company's network down #even the government agency that demands major companies have a backup on a different network was taken down because they ignored that #and they got a deal if they kept their backup with rogers while their main network was also rogers #so they couldn't even make an emergency statement or anything about it #half my province also lost all digital infrastructure because it's a private company and making a redundancy line would mean smaller bonuse #it's just so bad #joke all you want about how canada is nice and friendly #but you are wrong and it's hell if you actually live here #the only reason canada is seen as nice is because it's hard to not seem like the better option when the us is your neighbour #and because of decades of pr work to make canada seem friendly and nice and not at all problematic #in some countries you actually have to try to hide you're canadian because of how much we colonize and the damage we do to other countries #yes these tags have derailed from the post but ugh #i take major issue with people who insist canada is nice and has never done anything wrong

[thisischeri]

ig: cheri.png

#I just got a pack of these from eBay #it was released it 2004 #I never owned these #hope it arrives #always wanted but ofc I was a child and parents couldn’t afford it #old internet #old web #00s #y2k #2000s #cyber y2k #cybercore #moodboard #cyber core #tech #apple #iPod #old apple #iPod nano #iPod Socks #tech core #techcore #y2k aesthetic #y2k blog #nostalgia #nostalgiacore

[chrollohearttags]

my whole YouTube feed is filled with videos about the Stanley cup/Sephora kid thing and maybe bc I haven’t used tiktok in months but I’m so lost as to why everybody, including the kids themselves is being blamed for this problem lmao.

#there’s only one enemy and that’s capitalism/consumerism #not to mention the parents who think being an ‘ipad kid’ is cute and quirky bc they don’t want to raise their kids beyond the baby stage #like why are you mad at an influencer who’s job it is to sell a product for not monitoring if ur children are watching #that beauty influencer is not selling to them or for them #they’re a business + brand marketing to other ppl their age #people who can actually afford the products #not somebody who barely has lunch money less known 3 bands to drop on drunk elephant #like I have so many young cousins/kids in my neighborhood who are being brought up this way + it’s the internet’s fault always #not the fact that their parents don’t do anything #and what gets me is that somebody like me who’s made content online like cosplay/anime or even writing fanfic #has to worry about censoring myself for some brat I’m not even thinking abt #and it hurts creatives who are just looking for an escape #when I’m reality the only problem is that these parents are lazy and expect some random youtuber to teach their kids the things they refuse #it takes a village yes but at the end of the day that responsibility lies on the person who birthed them #I’m sorry #cherry chats 🍒

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Judd Legum at Popular Information:

In 2024, reliable access to high-speed internet is no longer a luxury; it is a basic necessity. From job applications to managing personal finances and completing school work, internet access is an essential part of daily life. Without an internet connection, individuals are effectively cut off from basic societal activities. 

But the reality is that many people — particularly those living around the poverty line — can not afford internet access. Without internet access, the difficult task of working your way from the American economy's bottom rung becomes virtually impossible.   On November 21, 2021, President Biden signed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The new law included the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provided up to $30 per month to individuals or families with income up to 200% of the federal poverty line to help pay for high-speed internet. (For a family of four, the poverty line is currently $31,200.) On Tribal lands, where internet access is generally more expensive, the ACP offers subsidies up to $75 per month.  The concept started during the Trump administration. The last budget enacted by Trump included $3.2 billion to help families afford internet access. The FCC made the money available as a subsidy to low-income individuals and families through a program known as the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. The legislation signed by Biden extended and formalized the program.  It has been a smashing success.

Today, the ACP is "helping 23 million households – 1 in 6 households across America." The program has particularly benefited "rural communities, veterans, and older Americans where the lack of affordable, reliable high-speed internet contributes to significant economic, health and other disparities." According to an FCC survey, two-thirds of beneficiaries "reported they had inconsistent internet service or no internet service at all prior to ACP." These households report using their high-speed internet to "schedule or attend healthcare appointments (72%), apply for jobs or complete work (48%), do schoolwork (75% for ACP subscribers 18-24 years old)." Tomorrow, the program will abruptly end.  In October 2023, the White House sent a supplemental budget request to Congress, which included $6 billion to extend the program through the end of 2024. There is also a bipartisan bill, the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, which would extend the program with $7 billion in funding. The benefits of the program have shown to be far greater than the costs. An academic study published in February 2024 found that "for every dollar spent on the ACP, the nation’s GDP increases by $3.89." The program will lapse tomorrow because Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) refuses to bring either the bill (or the supplemental funding request) to a vote. The Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act has 225 co-sponsors which means that, if Johnson held a vote, it would pass. 

[...]

The Republican attack on affordable internet

Why will Johnson not even allow a vote to extend the ACP? He is not commenting. But there are hints in the federal budget produced by the Republican Study Committee (RSC). The RSC is the "conservative caucus" of the House GOP, and counts 179 of the 217 Republicans in the House as members. Johnson served as the chair of the RSC in 2019 and 2020. He is currently a member of the group's executive committee.  The RSC's latest budget says it "stands against" the ACP and labels it a "government handout[] that disincentivize[s] prosperity." The RSC claims the program is unnecessary because "80 percent" of beneficiaries had internet access before the program went into effect. For that statistic, the RSC cites a report from a right-wing think tank, the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), which opposes the ACP. EPIC, in turn, cites an FCC survey to support its contention that 80% of ACP beneficiaries already had internet access. The survey actually found that "over two-thirds of survey respondents (68%) reported they had inconsistent internet service or no internet service at all prior to ACP."

[...] The RSC also falsely claims that funding for the precursor to the ACP, the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB), "was signed into law at the end of President Biden’s first year in office." This is false. Former President Trump signed the funding into law in December 2020. The RSC's position is not popular. A December 2023 poll found that 79% of voters support "continuing the ACP, including 62% of Republicans, 78% of Independents, and 96% of Democrats."

In 2024, access to the internet is a necessity and not just a luxury, and the Republicans are set to end the Affordable Connectivity Program if no action is taken. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) provided subsidies to low-income people and families to obtain internet access.

#Internet #Internet Access #Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act #Affordable Connectivity Program #Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act #IIJA #Emergency Broadband Benefit Program #Republican Study Committee #Economic Policy Innovation Center

[spicyraeman]

Back from the void, got the power back on and the internet immediately went out ripp

#also found out some slightly scary facts about our internet from the woman who came to fix it #like if the booster on the hub goes out they're not allowed to replace it #which would leave 10+ people without internet #in a dead zone with no cell service #or an affordable and reliable internet alternative #fuckin musk rat's starlink would actually be the only worthwhile alt to use honestly #which is just so fuckin sad..

[bitchesgetriches]

Hi. I was wondering if you would be willing to share information about the Affordable Connectivity Program for your followers who might benefit ftom it? www.fcc.gov/acp. Thanks.

Of course, cherry bomb! Thanks so much for bringing it to our attention. From the org's site:

The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more.

The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.

Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

And worry not, Bitch Nation: we did a little research into it, and the ACP is a legit government program and not a scam, and the FCC can generally be trusted. Good luck!

If you liked this article, join our Patreon!

#FCC #Affordable Connectivity Program #broadband #subsidized internet #safety net #welfare program

[saturnisfallingdown]

a big part of the queer online kid to queer online young adult progression for me was losing all interest in labels. not in a distasteful way!! just. losing interest .....

#ive got a big post in the drafts about how ive found it impossible to exist outside of the queer identity structure these days #and the pros and cons of that #and i havent published it because i fear it giving off some anti-labeling-for-anyone-ever aura. which is not the vibe !!! #but talking entirely personally. yeah nowadays i feel weird even calling myself genderqueer!! listing a pronoun preference. #advertising myself as a lesbian at the forefront of my general human identity #because i am those things and people can refer to me in those ways!! absolutely #but ultimately my queerness is a lot more fluid than i gave it credit for as a kid/teen #and i think it defines less of me than i thought it did #or at least its such an intrinsic part of me that i can afford to look at a lot of other aspects of what makes me me #and this is all just my personal very privileged experience!! this isnt universal queerhood 101. but that makes it interesting!! #i dont know im having a very coming of age moment this year and im thinking a lot about identity. this is my diary welcome internet

[neutrallyobsessed]

have you seen them in manga form?

Now you have ;)

#miles edgeworth #kay faraday #ace attorney #aa #aai #dadworth #ace attorney investigations #ace attorney manga #manga #manga screenshots #i cant afford it source is everywhere on the internet =w= #kayworth #mitsumiku

[fromthedeskofcripslock]

#remember the 90s and the dream of the internet’s promise for open access information? #moving to a yert if I can afford one #fuck capitalism #anti ai

[magicalblerdpenn]

Hey y'all. If you're based in the United States, please call your Congressional reps and ask them to approve this bill funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. It helps low income households like mine get a discount on their internet bill. As a freelance writer who works from home while being a family caregiver, this has helped me save money. Without this funding, the Affordable Connectivity Program will end in April.

#penn's random thoughts #affordable connectivity program #internet access #internet

[spitblaze]

todays award for 'man what the fuck' goes to reddit for making me see pr0/-ship discourse in goddamn 2023. thought we were past that but i guess not

#spitblaze says things #i am once again reminding ppl that media and fan content are not created or consumed in a vacuum #you do not need to whitewash all 'taboo topics' from any work but maybe like. warn people up front. listen to minorities and csa victims #consider if yelling at strangers on the internet is actually helping anybody at all. esp the people you purport to be helping #realize that most people think grown-adult and literal-child pairings are gross for a reason and they arent just pearl clutching prudes #(im talking like 'this character is 10 and this one is 35' not 'this one is 17 and this one is 18'. yes ive seen it. yes i hate it) #idk. have a set of personal values rather than trying to align urself with some movement or group or whatever #also maybe give a little less leeway to ppl making purposefully tittilating csa content? even if it IS fiction??? #at that point its not 'exploring dark subject matter' anymore its just jerkoff material. maybe you can afford to be a bit more discerning #also. learn what a maladaptive coping mechanism is please #thats it i just. dont want to think about this shit ever agaaaaaain