HARTFORD – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), co-author of legislation to expand broadband Internet services to low-income Americans, today applauded the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) final approval under the Lifeline program to help low-income households access high-speed Internet. The proposal was approved by a vote of 3-2. 

Murphy introduced the Broadband Adoption Act last year with U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and U.S. Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Calif.). The bill would modernize the Universal Service Fund Lifeline Assistance Program – which, until yesterday’s FCC vote, only provided assistance for basic voice services for low-income Americans – and expand it to in-home online services. In June 2015, Murphy met with students at Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport to listen and learn about how increased Internet access would enhance their opportunities for success.

“People in Connecticut know that having access to the Internet is no longer a luxury. Whether you’re looking to find a job, enroll in health insurance, shop online, or communicate with your child’s teacher, Internet access is an absolute necessity in today’s digital economy,” said Murphy. “I’m thrilled that the FCC took the final step today in expanding the Lifeline program and putting new opportunities within reach for thousands of families in Connecticut and across the country. I’ve been lucky to have Senator Booker and Congresswoman Matsui leading the charge with me to put an end to this inequity, and I am thrilled that the FCC heeded our call to expand broadband access to those who need it most.”

The FCC estimates that nearly 100 million Americans still do not have broadband Internet services at home. Several studies by Pew and the FCC have found 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.