FCC Lifeline Reform Imminent, Sohn Says
Wireline broadband adoption has plateaued and mobile isn't a satisfactory alternative, Gigi Sohn, senior aide to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, told a broadband conference Thursday, based on her written remarks. Sohn said recent results in a Pew Research Center study…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
make the case that the FCC must modernize the Lifeline program. The report said after years of “slow but steady progress,” home broadband adoption fell to 67 percent, from 70 percent in 2013, she said. That doesn't mean fewer people are online, but more are using mobile connections, Sohn said. If more Americans have some form of Internet access, why does it matter that home broadband adoption has plateaued? she asked. “Because not all forms of Internet access serve the same function,” Sohn said: “Home broadband, which offers faster speeds and a lower likelihood of running up against data caps, does things for consumers that smartphone-only access can’t.” She said most job applications are now online, for example: “It’s a lot easier updating your resume and submitting it on your laptop than on your phone.” Sohn assured the group that Lifeline reform is imminent. Lifeline modernizations “is nearing its conclusion and key decisions will need to be made in the not-too-distant future,” she said at the Digital Pathway Summit in Amelia Island, Florida.