According to planetdish.com, Governor Cuomo signs the Affordable Broadband Act into law at the Northland Workforce Training Centre in Buffalo, NY. The Affordable Broadband Act compels internet service providers to offer low-cost high-speed internet to low-income homes that qualify for it for only $15 per month. This program is the first of its type in the country to make such a concerted effort to bridge the digital divide anyplace in the United States. According to lawmakers, this new initiative will benefit nearly 2.7 million homes across the state.
The Specifics of the Affordable Broadband Act
According to internetnearme.com, the new New York State law from the Affordable Broadband Bill compels all internet providers serving New York State citizens to provide qualifying low-income homes with high-speed internet for $15 per month. Under the rule, internet service providers must provide high-speed internet access as well as any necessary equipment to use their service, such as a modem and router, for less than $15 per month.
Who Is Eligible for Low-Cost Internet?
To take advantage of this low-cost pricing, interested New Yorkers must first qualify for the Affordable Broadband program. Households may have to requalify for the Affordable Broadband program each year, just like any other benefits they may be getting. Here are the various ways that households can qualify for this low-cost Internet program:
- A utility improves affordability.
- School lunches are either free or reduced in price.
- Medicaid
- Rent increase exemptions for seniors and people with disabilities
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
How to Apply for High-Speed Internet for $15 Per Month
Governor Cuomo did not indicate when or how consumers may apply for the low-cost internet service option provided by the Affordable Broadband Act during the occasion. More information on how to apply will be available soon.
The Affordable Broadband Portal Has Been Launched
Governor Cuomo also announced the establishment of the inexpensive Broadband Portal to aid New Yorkers in locating inexpensive broadband programs in their area that may service their address. Other important information contained within the portal includes the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, which many New Yorkers may be unaware of.Qualifying homes would be eligible for a $50 monthly subsidy for high-speed broadband internet service, as well as a one-time discount of up to $100 on a desktop, laptop, or tablet computer.
Internet Service Providers Participating
All internet service providers in New York must provide high-speed internet access to qualified low-income households for $15 per month. Here are some internet service providers in New York State:
- Charter Spectrum (formerly known as Time Warner Cable)
- Fairpoint Communications (previously Consolidated Communications)
- EarthLink
- Frontier Communications, Inc.
- Networks in the Greenlight
- HughesNet
- Optimum
- RCN
- Internet of Stars
- FiOS by Verizon
- Viasat (formerly Excede and WildBlue)
- Windstream
Why Is the Affordable Broadband Act Necessary?
The COVID-19 outbreak has demonstrated to many New Yorkers and Americans around the country the critical importance of high-speed broadband internet connection. Governor Cuomo reinforced something we all already know during his speech at the Northland Workforce Training Centre in Buffalo, NY: the COVID-19 pandemic has redefined what normal is, and every family needs access to inexpensive internet at home.
Every day, families bring their children to public libraries and coffee shops to finish their schoolwork. Some adults are sitting in their cars outside restaurants with free public Wi-Fi, applying for unemployment benefits and looking for work.Due to social alienation, lower capacity percentage mandates, earlier closing times, and business closures caused by the COVID-19 epidemic, families can’t even do this much. Having internet connectivity on a smartphone is not reliable or usable for the entire family. Adults and children in households without internet connection are at a significant disadvantage compared to those who do.
Furthermore, even after the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working, remote learning, and telemedicine are not going away. New Yorkers, like any other utility, require broadband connection to work, learn, and access modern care. Families should not have to choose between reliable home internet connection and putting food on the table or educating their children because of financial constraints. Allowing families to sacrifice basic high-speed internet access would not help them better their financial circumstances in the long run.
If you’re still not sure that the Affordable Broadband Program is necessary, consider the following. By guaranteeing that all New Yorkers have inexpensive high-speed broadband internet connection, they will be able to do the following from the comfort of their own Low-income:
Adults are able to work from homeLow-income
- Apply for jobs with more income and a better work-life balance.
- Children can study, do their homework, and take online lessons.
- Possessing access to higher education
- Online bill payment
- Maintain contact with friends and family regardless of where they live.
- Keep up with local and global news.
What is the cost of high-speed broadband internet access?
High-speed broadband internet is pricey across the country, with prices ranging from $19.99 to $299.99 per month depending on where you reside and the internet speeds accessible to you. In New York State, individuals should expect to pay more than $50 per month on average for what the FCC defines broadband internet. According to the FCC, broadband internet is internet service with at least 25 Mbps download speeds and 3 Mbps upload rates.While this service is preferable to none at all, these speeds are the bare minimum for the vast majority of today’s connected households.
What is the cost of high-speed broadband internet access?
High-speed broadband internet is pricey across the country, with prices ranging from $19.99 to $299.99 per month depending on where you reside and the internet speeds accessible to you. In New York State, individuals should expect to pay more than $50 per month on average for what the FCC defines broadband internet. According to the FCC, broadband internet is internet service with at least 25 Mbps download speeds and 3 Mbps upload rates.While this service is preferable to none at all, these speeds are the bare minimum for the vast majority of today’s connected households.
Future State Research on High-Speed Broadband Internet
New York State intends to do a comprehensive statewide mapping research on high-speed broadband internet and submit their findings within a year. The project will collect data such as the availability, dependability, and cost of high-speed broadband internet access throughout the state. It’s unclear what the state intends to do with the data, but Governor Cuomo suggests that the findings will help drive efforts to make high-speed broadband internet available and affordable to all New York State citizens.
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