More than 1 million veterans could lose access to discounted internet services due to a lack of funding in federal assistance programs. These households are among the approximately 23 million U.S. households that will see their monthly bills reduced by $30 to $75 through the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program. This financial assistance often determines whether these households have access to Internet service.
“Cost is one of the biggest barriers to accessing the internet,” said Amy Huffman, policy director for the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA). But unless Congress steps up, funding for the Affordable Connections program will run out by May. “I can’t tell you how painful this is,” Huffman said. “More than 22 million households will have to choose between the internet and groceries, the internet and medicine, the internet and gas. It breaks my heart to think about going back to those days.”
Bills introduced in the House and Senate in January would provide an additional $7 billion in funding and potentially extend the Internet Financial Assistance Program through the end of the year, Huffman said. But the prospects for passing this short-term extension are uncertain, given that Congress is struggling to reach agreement on other funding measures. And the Affordable Connections program will stop enrolling new households this week as funding dwindles. “We are fighting for the continuation of the program while also preparing our community to support consumers in the event the program ends,” said Huffman, a member of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, a library that is part of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. Talk about schools, faith-based organizations, and other groups.
The American Legion National Executive Committee passed Resolution No. 1 in May 2021, calling on federal agencies to prioritize broadband expansion in rural areas, where more than 5.6 million veterans live. High-speed internet access is especially important for veterans living in rural areas, who rely on technology for health care, education, and other needs. More than half of them have at least one service-related health problem. They are more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, the VA said.
Lack of broadband access also hinders veterans’ ability to access online education and training and work remotely. Additionally, more than 1.1 million veteran-owned businesses in rural America are affected by limited access to markets, loans, grants and supplies, according to the American Veterans Association. .
As the COVID-19 pandemic forced health care providers to replace in-person appointments with telemedicine visits, universities to switch to online classes, and millions of people to replace in-office jobs with telework, local The need to expand high-speed internet service has become even more acute. . VA telehealth visits have increased more than 600% from March 2020 to March 2021 alone, and demand remains high even as the pandemic subsides. Nearly 3 million telehealth visits by local veterans were recorded in fiscal year 2023, the agency said. However, the agency says as many as 6% of local veterans enrolled in VA health care do not have access to the internet to support supportive telehealth services.
The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law in November 2021, allocated $42.5 billion for rural broadband deployment as part of the newly created Broadband Equity and Deployment Program, Huffman said. . The fruits of this effort to build physical Internet infrastructure should begin to appear within the next few years. Meanwhile, Huffman said an additional $2.7 billion has been allocated to ensure people have the skills and equipment to use the internet once they have access to broadband.
The Infrastructure Act also created the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program. This program not only helps reduce the cost of home internet service, but also provides up to $100 toward the purchase of computer equipment. According to the FCC, households with someone participating in certain Veterans’ Pension and Survivor Benefits programs are eligible for financial assistance.
The FCC and the Veterans Benefits Administration streamlined the eligibility verification process in 2022 to make it easier for veterans to take advantage of affordable connectivity programs, the FCC said. It was a great success. By early December 2023, the program had provided monthly internet bill assistance to more than 960,000 veterans and survivors. That number continues to grow. Rural residents also enroll in the program at higher rates than urban residents, which should encourage the development of rural internet access, according to the FCC.
Unfortunately, the Affordable Connectivity Program ran out of money faster than expected, and legislation introduced in January gives Congress and the FCC time to come up with a permanent way to fund low-cost internet services. It is considered a short-term solution. It’s necessary, Huffman says. The possibility of losing even this temporary financial aid keeps her up at night. “Her sleep hours have decreased significantly over the past year here,” Huffman says. “Before the pandemic, you might be able to live without internet access. But not now.”
