Closing the digital divide through broadband expansion (Rep. Doris Matsui)

Growing up in the Central Valley of California, my education relied heavily on textbooks and local libraries.  As I got older, I used the newspaper to find my first part-time job and applied to college through a mail-in application.  After I got married, my husband and I shared photos of our young son through slides at family gatherings.  Today, I watch my grandchildren use the Internet to collaborate on projects with school children across the Atlantic; and my son can collect witness testimony through teleconference across the country. 

I recognize that the American way of life has changed dramatically since my youth, due in large part to our ability to communicate instantly via the Internet.  However, not every American family can afford up to $60 per month for broadband services at home, putting themselves and their children at a disadvantage.

Today, young and old Americans look to the Internet to provide necessary information to succeed and in-home broadband service offers an immediate wealth of knowledge to their door.  As we all know, recent economic hardship has meant tighter pocketbooks and many amongst us have been forced to make cut-backs.  In the current economic climate, an increasing number of hardworking Americans simply cannot afford to pay the high costs for broadband services.  At a time when consumers need the Internet more than ever to seek employment assistance, education, health care, and to manage their finances, this vital and convenient information source Internet plays a vital role in our economic recovery.

In my home state of California, an estimated 96 percent of California residences have access to broadband.   However, a little more than half of Californians have adopted broadband at home.  In contrast, 97 percent of those earning $80,000 annually subscribe to one of these services.  In most cases, adoption rates are associated with income, and in order to close the Digital Divide, we must extend the privilege of home Internet access to all American families. 

This is why I have introduced the Broadband Affordability Act in the House of Representatives.  As the bill is being considered by the Energy and Commerce Committee, I am working with my colleagues to illustrate the need amongst low-income Americans for this critical service.  The bill has been endorsed by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and just this week, the Board of Directors of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) unanimously adopted a resolution supporting this important legislation at its annual meeting in Chicago. 

If enacted, a broadband Lifeline Assistance program will be established under the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) within the already-existing framework of the Universal Services Fund (USF) to create a program for universal broadband adoption similar to the current USF lifeline assistance program.  As a result, we will expand affordable broadband access in urban and rural areas, particularly for low-income households, and help close the digital divide for millions of Americans.