{"id":154724,"date":"2019-08-08T17:23:43","date_gmt":"2019-08-08T09:23:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.geek.com\/featured\/-1799150\/"},"modified":"2019-08-08T17:23:43","modified_gmt":"2019-08-08T09:23:43","slug":"elizabeth-warren-reveals-85-billion-public-broadband-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/test\/wordpress\/2019\/08\/08\/elizabeth-warren-reveals-85-billion-public-broadband-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Elizabeth Warren Reveals $85 Billion Public Broadband Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(via Fotocitizen\/Pixabay)<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

As if debt, climate change, and poor healthcare weren’t enough, rural communities are often excluded from access to high-speed Internet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren wants to change that.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a lengthy Medium post<\/a>, the Massachusetts senator laid out plans to invest in rural America\u2014including a public option for broadband.<\/span><\/p>\n

“In the 21st century, every home should have access to [reliable, high-speed Internet]\u2014but we’re not even close to that today,” Warren lamented.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2017, 26.4 percent of people in provincial areas (and 32.1 percent of those occupying tribal lands) did not have access to minimum-speed broadband (25 Mbps\/3 Mbps), compared to 1.7 percent in metropolitan areas, the FCC reported.<\/span><\/p>\n

And while urban areas are more likely to have access to fiber broadband, many residents still can’t afford to connect to it.<\/span><\/p>\n

“This ends when I’m president,” Warren promised. “I will make sure every home in America has a fiber broadband connection at a price families can afford. That means publicly owned and operated networks\u2014and no giant ISPs running away with taxpayer dollars.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Her complex proposal features various moving parts. But perhaps most ambitious of all is an $85 billion federal grant program to expand broadband access across the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

The federal government will pay 90 cents on the dollar for construction; in exchange, applicants must offer high-speed public broadband directly to every home in their area.<\/span><\/p>\n

Claimants are obliged to offer at least one plan with 100 Mbps\/100 Mbps speeds and one discount Internet plan for low-income customers, with a prepaid feature or low monthly rate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of the total funds, $5 billion will be earmarked for 100 percent federal grants to tribal nations, in an effort to expand broadband access on Native American lands.<\/span><\/p>\n

Warren also pledged to return broadband rights to local governments, appoint net neutrality advocates to the FCC, improve the accuracy of broadband maps, and invest $2.5 billion over 10 years to ensure everyone has the skills to participate in our digital economy.<\/span><\/p>\n

The candidate’s proposal comes a day after Comcast announced<\/a> the largest-ever expansion of its Internet Essentials program.<\/span><\/p>\n

The comprehensive broadband adoption program now includes all qualified low-income households in its service area\u2014an estimated 3 million additional units across America.<\/span><\/p>\n

Applicants simply need to show they are participating in one of more than a dozen government assistance programs (Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP], Supplemental Security Income [SSI], etc.).<\/span><\/p>\n

Comcast already accepts folks who have a student eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program, live in public housing or receive HUD Housing Assistance (including Section 8 vouchers), or participate in the Veterans Pension Program, as well as low-income seniors and community college students in select pilot markets.<\/span><\/p>\n

More on Geek.com:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n