The Importance Of Lifeline Programs

The Lifeline program, implemented by President Ronald Reagan in the 1990 's to provide the economically disadvantaged with subsidized access to phone service is getting an upgrade to include subsidized internet access as well. In a perfect world this would be a wonderful addition allowing those without access at home to receive a lifeline for important tasks regarding civic participation and education, unfortunately things are not so simple. Though providing access at home is a step in the right direction, there are many other factors to consider, and many more effective ways to use taxpayer dollars to improve internet access for those who currently go without. The most important of these is providing citizens with a reliable means of training as well as the access to the hardware required to access the internet. Without these things access to subsidized internet is just not enough to close the digital divide in this country. The key to bridging the digital divide is in the balance of funding to all aspects of the access dilemma: Hardware, internet access, and training.
One glaring issue, in regards to providing subsidized internet for the economically disadvantaged, is the disparity between needing access and actually owing the hardware necessary to access the …show more content…
Jaeger (2015) states that the choice to opt in is what really matters (p. 14). This will mean that funding will still be required for public libraries so that the entire population has a means to gain training and instruction regarding the usage of the internet and the hardware required to access the internet in an affordable manner. It is certainly not ideal, but the initiative in providing everyone with equal access is a great first stepping stone for beginning to bridge the digital