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Affordable internet program at risk of ending
The Affordable Connectivity Program was created to help those who have familial and career burdens, but can't struggle to access the internet. These days it's no longer a luxury, but a necessity. That same program is about to run out of money.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - When Nuri Muhammad signed up for the federal program that helps connect families to the internet, it gave him a lifeline.
He's disabled and epileptic and between raising a family and running a business, not having a connection to the web would make everything harder. The Affordable Connectivity Program was created to help those like the Muhammad family.
That same program is now at risk of running out of money. Last October, the Biden administration called on Congress to extend the benefit through the end of the year.
The benefits, which include speaking with doctors through telehealth, stretch far beyond Detroit. Almost a million Michigan residents have been helped by the program.
"And those folks are in Democratic districts, they're in Republican districts, they have Republican senators, they have Democratic senators and that's part of the reason why the program is so popular," said Jon Donenberg.
Donenberg is the senior economic adviser to the president. He says Joe Biden is hoping to get Republicans to support the program, which helps 23 million households.
"Internet is no longer a luxury," said Christine Burkette, the director of digital equity and inclusion for Detroit. "When you look at our seniors, when you look at our students, those are what I call my bookends, right? And then you've got the people in the middle who are looking for jobs."
Across all those demographics is a need for more affordable internet access and a device at home that can connect to it, Burkette said.
"It's virtual, it's global, and we've got to be prepared for that and I think the biggest gap that we have now is making it affordable for everyone to access that," said Burkette.
Without the program, higher internet costs await those that have struggled to get access. That's why officials are encouraging people to contact their lawmaker in Congress and urge them to support extending it.
In Detroit, Burkette is already working to put other options in place.
"Go to our certified tech hub map. Go to a location near you that has free wifi and devices and training," she said. "The second thing is go to our website, type in your ZIP code or where it says connectivity and find a rate that you can afford. The speed may not be as high as what you're accustomed to, but you got to have some type of connectivity in your home."