Millions of Californians weigh options after losing an affordable internet subsidy

Sustainable Development Goals and the End of Affordable Internet Subsidy in California

Introduction

Alfredo Camacho and his three daughters started a new routine last week: Every evening they go to the parking lot outside a nearby library to get Wi-Fi access. The kids do homework and download YouTube videos, while Alfredo checks his email and searches job listings.

Camacho and his daughters ages 9, 12, and 15 live in Guadalupe, a town of roughly 9,000 on the Central Coast of California. They used to rely on the Affordable Connectivity Program, a $30 to $75 monthly credit for high-speed internet, but that ends this month.

“This takes away grocery money,” he told CalMatters. “Being a single father, $30 goes a long way.”

Camacho is one of roughly three million Californians deciding whether to keep home internet access or give it up and deepen the digital divide.

The Affordable Connectivity Program

Congress allocated $14.2 billion to the Affordable Connectivity Program in 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic was still top of mind and underscored people’s need for online access to do school and work. But since Congress failed to allocate more funding, that money runs out later this month. And since the subsidy only covers part of the bill, the onus is on subsidy recipients to cut the cord or it could end up costing them money.

Nationwide, more than 23 million Americans benefited from the program. An additional 30 million eligible people never received the subsidy.

Four out of five households enrolled in the program cite affordability as the reason why they had inconsistent or no internet access, according to a Federal Communications Commission survey released two months ago. Roughly the same amount said the end of the subsidy will force them to find cheaper service or get rid of home internet service.

Impact on Californians

The Federal Communications Commission, which stopped accepting affordable internet applications in February, said internet service providers are required to inform recipients three times before charging consumers full price, with the final notification this month, the last billing cycle that includes a full subsidy. The federal agency said some people may receive partial affordable internet funding in May. People who haven’t received such notifications yet are encouraged to call their internet service provider.

In a letter urging leaders in Congress to pass a law extending funding last month, more than 150 members of Congress note that roughly half of Affordable Connectivity Program recipients are military families, one in four live in rural communities, and one in five are households with people who are 65 or older. The letter called internet service essential to education, health, and the economy, and warned that ending the program could reduce trust in government and internet service providers.

Camacho agrees that ending the program breaks public trust. “You gave everybody hope and then you dropped the ball,” he said.

Widening the Digital Divide

Winnie Aguilar lives in senior housing in Imperial Beach and called the affordable internet subsidy important to her and many of her neighbors.

“For us who have very low income and cannot work anymore it’s hard to lose that $30,” she said.

The digital divide for students from poor families and rural areas can and should end, said Mary Nicely, the California Department of Education chief deputy superintendent of public instruction. “Our students and families deserve a greater investment, not less, to ensure they have a level playing field to succeed academically,” she wrote in a statement. “We have a long way to go to ensure that all students in this state have the resources they need to thrive academically.”

State officials offered no estimates for the number of students affected by the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program.

The pandemic led to the development of many online tools that still get used, Public Policy Institute of California researcher Joe Hayes told CalMatters. “So it stands to reason that households from historically underserved populations are going to be harder hit by the disappearance of the Affordable Connectivity Program,” he said.

A record 95% of Californians have access to the internet today, according to a report Hayes published earlier this month. In recent years, access has increased the most among low-income Black and Latino households headed by people who didn’t graduate from college, the report said. The digital divide has narrowed for grade-school students as well, but still persists, the institute found in February.

Despite years of progress that made him optimistic, Hayes expects the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program to widen the digital divide for students and low-income households.

“Things are going to get worse for people on the margins,” he told CalMatters. “Even if you’re in a place with fiber in the ground, if you suddenly can’t afford it, I do expect that gap to widen.”

Addressing the Issue

Still, Hayes notes that a number of federal programs continue to fund efforts to end the digital divide, including the Department of Treasury’s coronavirus projects fund and the broadband equity and access deployment program. There’s also a $6 billion state program to fund broadband infrastructure projects, and earlier this month the state of California received a $70 million federal grant to implement a digital equity plan. But he said these programs don’t address a key issue at the heart of the matter: high monthly costs charged by internet service providers.

The average cost of home internet is $83 a month, according to a 2023 survey by the California Department Of Technology. Latino households, people who live in rural areas, and low-income households are amongst those most in need of internet service, said the survey released in summer 2023. Roughly 3.5 million Californians still lack internet access due to lack of infrastructure, affordability, or other issues, according to the survey.

Sunne McPeak works to end the digital divide as the president and CEO of the California Emerging Technology Fund, which is

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs Addressed

1. No Poverty (SDG 1)
2. Zero Hunger (SDG 2)
3. Quality Education (SDG 4)
4. Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8)
5. Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10)
6. Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11)
7. Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)

Targets Identified

1. Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership, and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology, and financial services, including microfinance.
2. Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round.
3. Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.
4. Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
5. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
6. Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible, green, and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons, and persons with disabilities.
7. Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources.

Indicators

• Indicator 1.4.2: Proportion of total adult population with secure tenure rights to land, with legally recognized documentation and who perceive their rights to land as secure, by sex and by type of tenure.
• Indicator 2.1.1: Prevalence of undernourishment (PoU) in the population (%).
• Indicator 4.4.1: Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill.
• Indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age group, and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex, and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator 11.7.1: Average share of the built-up area of cities that is open space for public use for all, by sex, age, and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator 17.16.1: Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks that support the achievement of the sustainable development goals.

Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The issues highlighted in the article are connected to the following SDGs:

• No Poverty (SDG 1)
• Zero Hunger (SDG 2)
• Quality Education (SDG 4)
• Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8)
• Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10)
• Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11)
• Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, the following targets can be identified:

1. Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership, and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology, and financial services, including microfinance.
2. Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round.
3. Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.
4. Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
5. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
6. Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible, green, and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons, and persons with disabilities.
7. Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, there are indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Indicator 1.4.2: Proportion of total adult population with secure tenure rights to land, with legally recognized documentation and who perceive their rights to land as secure, by sex and by type of tenure.
• Indicator 2.1.1: Prevalence of undernour

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  Fuente: calmatters.org

   

  

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