HARTFORD – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) today issued a statement applauding a vote by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to modernize the Lifeline program. Earlier this month, Murphy introduced the Broadband Adoption Act of 2015, which would instruct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a broadband Lifeline Assistance program and will help bridge the digital divide by making in-home online services more affordable across the country.

“In today’s 21st century economy, access to high-speed internet isn’t a luxury -- it’s an absolute necessity. This decision by the FCC to expand the Lifeline program to help low-income Americans pay for broadband will go a long way toward helping Connecticut families connect with the world and build a better life for their families,” said Murphy. “No matter your income, you should have access to the vast opportunities and limitless possibilities the Internet provides.”

The FCC has estimated that nearly 100 million Americans still have not adopted broadband Internet services at home. Several prominent studies by Pew and the FCC have strongly suggested that broadband adoption rates in urban and rural communities are largely associated with incomes levels and the high cost of broadband services. While the broadband penetration rate is over 90 percent nationwide among households making over $50,000 a year, that figure drops to 68 percent for homes bringing in $30,000-$50,000 a year, and to less than half in households making under $30,000.

Murphy introduced the Broadband Adoption Act of 2015 with U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and U.S. Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Calif.). The measure is cosponsored by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.), U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).