Three Democratic senators have launched an effort to keep Americans connected to the internet throughout the novel coronavirus pandemic and amid one of the most devastating economic downturns in nearly a century. Legislation introduced on Tuesday seeks a national “moratorium” on phone and internet shutoffs until the crisis fully abates.
More than 33 million Americans have filed for unemployment since the nationwide lockdown began seven weeks ago, according to the latest Bureau of Statistics figures. Twenty million jobs were lost in April alone. A University of Chicago study released one week ago also showed a 35 percent drop in employment among America’s lowest-paid workers.
U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley, Ron Wyden, and Bernie Sanders maintain that the internet will play a key role in the rebound and that stripping the unemployed of access will only further hamper the economy. It also remains unclear for how long U.S. students will need to be home-schooled, as public health officials warn a second wave of the virus is not only likely but inevitable.
Introduced by Merkley, Wyden, and Sanders, the CONNECT at Home Act would require voice and internet providers to reinstate service for Americans who were cut off as far back as March 13, the start of the nationwide shutdown. With few exceptions, providers would be required to maintain service to customers, regardless of whether their bills are paid, for 180 days past the conclusion of the national state of emergency.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives unveiled a new stimulus bill that includes, among many other allowances, a $50 per month subsidy for residential broadband service, as well as additional funding for the FCC’s E-Rate program, which offers subsidies to schools and libraries. Gigi Sohn, a distinguished fellow at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy, called the funding “vital.”
“The House bill makes clear what most Americans have known for months – that every American must have access to robust broadband Internet during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Sohn, a former top advisor to the FCC.
More at Gizmodo.