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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced an increase in the internet subsidy for low-income residents in certain regions of Massachusetts. The current -per-month subsidy under the Affordable Connectivity Program will be more than doubled to per month in areas where it is costlier to provide internet service. This move aims to incentivize service providers to expand their networks in rural areas.

Two locations in Massachusetts have been identified as qualifying for the increased subsidy. One is the Blue Hills Reservation in Dedham and Milton, and the other is the Boston Harbor islands. Despite having been inhabited in the past, neither location reported any population in the 2020 census.

The selection of qualifying regions was made by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a division of the Commerce Department. The criteria for selection included factors such as remoteness, population density, topography, poverty levels, and the cost of providing internet service to unserved areas.

It is worth noting that most people without internet service in Massachusetts reside in urban areas. According to Dan Noyes, co-CEO of Tech Goes Home, a Boston-based nonprofit organization, over 245,000 individuals in the state lacked internet access in 2021, despite having a computer. An additional 249,000 people did not have internet service or a computer.

The -per-month subsidy is seen as a positive step toward achieving digital equity. However, there is a need for continued efforts to support and invest in programs that connect communities, provide devices, and offer training in digital literacy.

This recent eligibility selection process in Massachusetts echoes concerns raised during the FCC’s 2020 Rural Digital Opportunity Fund program, where underserved areas were incorrectly identified. Furthermore, some providers, including Starry, failed to fulfill their commitments to offer subsidized services in rural areas through that program.

Currently, the Affordable Connectivity Program provides subsidies to 19.8 million low-income households nationwide, including over 324,000 in Massachusetts. However, funding for the program may run out as early as April 2024, jeopardizing the higher subsidies. Republican objections in the House of Representatives have put additional funding allocations at risk. Suggestions have been made to use unspent COVID relief funds to sustain the program until a compromise can be reached in Congress.

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