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White House announces a deal that will provide low-cost, high-speed internet to millions of American households (PC gamer)

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kingfey

Banned

The White House and the largest internet providers reach a deal to provide low-cost broadband plans to nearly 48 million households.

One big piece of the Biden administration's agenda was expanding high-speed broadband internet into rural and lower-income households. Today, the White House revealed that it's reached an agreement with 20 of the largest internet providers in the US to provide low-cost and high-speed internet to those underserved areas.

Since taking office, President Biden has highlighted the difficulties of poorer Americans or those living in extremely rural areas, who need reliable broadband access for remote learning and work.

As part of the existing Affordable Connectivity Program, internet providers will now offer $30 monthly plans with speeds of at least 100Mbs. Those eligible for a $30 subsidy will then have access to free internet.

In February, Vice-President Harris said that over 10 million households have already signed up for ACP subsidies to help pay for broadband. The main issue was that the internet was still too expensive in some places, even with the $30 discount. Broadband internet providers now offering these new $30 plans should make the ACP more impactful for a lot more families, though major ISPs are always looking for ways to worm out of providing faster internet in rural areas.

The Affordable Connectivity Program will give over 48 million households (roughly 40% of the country) in the US access to high-speed internet at little to no cost, thanks to the subsidy mentioned above they can apply for. There are three different ways you can meet the requirement:
  • Your income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines
  • You or someone in your household already participates in Government programs like Snap, WIC, Tribal TANF, etc.
  • You meet the eligibility criteria for a participating broadband provider’s existing low-income internet program.
As part of Congress's $1 trillion infrastructure package, the ACP provides $30 a month subsidies ($75 in tribal communities) that families can use for internet costs. This means you can apply for a subsidy to discount your existing internet plan.


Here's a list of companies that will now be offering high-speed internet plans for $30 a month or less:

  • Allo Communications
  • AltaFiber (and Hawaiian Telecom)
  • Altice USA (Optimum and Suddenlink)
  • Astound
  • AT&T
  • Breezeline
  • Comcast
  • Comporium
  • Frontier
  • IdeaTek
  • Cox Communications
  • Jackson Energy Authority
  • MediaCom
  • MLGC
  • Spectrum (Charter Communications)
  • Starry
  • Verizon (Fios only)
  • Vermont Telephone Co.
  • Vexus Fiber
  • Wow! Internet, Cable, and TV

The program also gives those eligible a $100 stipend towards purchasing an internet-connected device like a laptop, desktop, or tablet.


The White House set up a website to see if your household qualifies for the discount and/or government subsidy. Even if your internet provider doesn't offer a $30/month plan, you can still apply for the subsidy and get $30 taken off your existing plan; all you need to prove is that you meet the criteria. Over 1,300 companies nationwide have said they will accept the ACP benefit.
 

dr_octagon

Banned
You can use the internet for shopping, booking movie tickets, research for school projects and uploading videos. Thanks to Al Gore Rythm, the fomer almost President.
 

kingfey

Banned
Nice. Tax everybody to give a $30 subsidy per house to the giant telecoms. Reminds me of the huge wasted broadband giveaway when Biden was Vice President.

Why are political talking points being posted now?
If it helps kids get internet and learn, then that is a good thing.
Not everyone can afford the internet, with expensive they are. Especially, when they are bundled with tvs.
 

Mistake

Gold Member
Looks like things are about to get $30 more expensive. Great. Same bs that happened with colleges
 

Durien

Member
I wonder all the money is coming from for all these programs. Lol is there a record for spending he is trying to beat?
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
The new basic internet plan is $30/mth (and that excludes if someone even qualifies to get it free). People cant scrape up $1/day to pay for it on their own?

Telcom companies getting $30/mth per user from the gov is like hitting the lottery. You know how gov manages their budgets. And with gov paying $30, the telcom companies don't even have to worry about deadbeats for that portion of the monthly bill.

I'll believe this when I see it, there's a reason why telecom companies are only slightly more popular than cancer. I'm expecting this to be a scam.
No doubt.

Telcom companies will find a way to take advantage and gov will be stupid as always to not know whats going on.

At my old company, the most profitable accounts were the provincial government contracts because those idiots bought our supplies at regular price! Nobody buys it at regular price off the list sheet except for the lowest tier no-name stores you can think of who have zero bargaining power. Even then so, most of them would scrape up some kind of negligible deal like 5% off just to keep business ties and they'd feel happy we gave them something.

We're a giant Fortune 500 corporation with equally large competitors and instead of weeding us all down in costs knowing we go in high and the normal course of business is rounds of negotiations to get an agreed upon price, these idiots accept our regular price. They could save millions in costs just by going round the table and weeding us down like any head office buyer.

And you wonder why gov is always over budget. They couldn't negotiate a flea market peddler down a dime. And besides, why would they? Gov has endless pockets. lol
 
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Cohetedor

Member
So I get to pay for others to get internet at twice the speed I get from Comcast 50vs100mbps and they get it at almost half the cost 54.99 vs 30 or free. Yep, sounds like a Biden plan.
 

Winter John

Member
Oh so now I got to pay for some poor kid's internet access? Well isn't that just whoop de doo. Hey, I'm sorry these kids live in crime infested shit holes. It's genuinely tragic there are American kids living in such poverty they don't have access to basic essential shit like clean water, healthy meals or even decent educations. But I have a fuckin Venezuelan gardener to pay for and that 1 cent Biden plans to steal from my wallet is really going to hurt his hours ok. Jesus. You cannot be a white man with a Tesla anymore.
 

HoodWinked

Member
This stuff only works as intended with proper oversight and people that actually care about accountability. This will probably just be another grift fleecing millions of tax dollars with zero accountability. The recent spending has been absolutely insane. Something like $600 billion was stolen from all the various COVID spending.
 
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OmegaSupreme

advanced basic bitch
Congress needs to recognize it as the necessity that it is an pass legislation making it a public utility. A $30 price point is reasonable, but it needs to be gigabit everywhere.
That'd be cool but I imagine the cost would be enormous. My neighborhood just got fiber and I'm just outside a fairly big city. Imagine the folks living out in the sticks?
 

Mistake

Gold Member
While it's awesome I'd rather see some focus on low cost food to store shelves.
7MiijH0.gif
 

DarkestHour

Banned
Nice. Tax everybody to give a $30 subsidy per house to the giant telecoms. Reminds me of the huge wasted broadband giveaway when Biden was Vice President.

Why are political talking points being posted now?

I'm fine with my tax dollars helping those in need even if it ends up in the pockets of corporations. Taxes should be used for the good of the people. Who else would the money go to? They won't do it for free.

I don't agree with people saying it needs to be gigabit. That's complete overkill.
 
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BigBooper

Member
I'm fine with my tax dollars helping those in need even if it ends up in the pockets of corporations. Taxes should be used for the good of the people. Who else would the money go to? They won't do it for free.

I don't agree with people saying it needs to be gigabit. That's complete overkill.
Cool. I'm not.

Where else it should go? Wherever the people who earned it want it to.
 
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AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
I'll believe this when I see it, there's a reason why telecom companies are only slightly more popular than cancer. I'm expecting this to be a scam.
The telecoms will gladly take government money to provide internet. I am sure this deal was worked with the telecoms negotiating with the government.


Building out rural infrastructure of broadband is a good thing. government subsidizing subscriptions probably not.
 

Rest

All these years later I still chuckle at what a fucking moron that guy is.
So I get to pay for others to get internet at twice the speed I get from Comcast 50vs100mbps and they get it at almost half the cost 54.99 vs 30 or free. Yep, sounds like a Biden plan.
No dumbass. Your internet speed will increase as well.
Jesus christ man. You pay taxes for your benefit. That's how taxes work. And when there's an excess other people get that benefit as well. It's called society.
 
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