By P.C. Staff
Asian Americans Advancing Justice filed comments Aug. 31 with the Federal Communications Commission in support of the FCC’s plan to extend its Lifeline program, which includes broadband Internet service that could promote affordable broadband services for low-income Americans in the U.S.
Mee Moua, president and executive director of the AAJC, spoke about the equality needed for the program. “We can’t truly achieve equality without ensuring that all Americans have access to the same basic necessities, and this includes access to the Internet,” she said. Moua also stated that “. . . failure to recognize that (Asian Americans) communities are one of the fastest-growing populations in poverty could leave out some members of community, without service they desperately need.”
According to the Pew Research Center, 15.5 percent of Asian households with incomes of $50,000 and school-age children are lacking high-speed connections at home. The FCC’s most recent rule will help close the “digital divide” that separates those with access to the Internet and those without it.
The FCC’s new rule will help close that divide. Research has shown that broadband access improves household income, provides greater access to employment and increases opportunities and independence.
