President Joe Biden outlined one of his latest spending plans Monday, the Affordable Connectivity Program, which would give Americans discounts on their internet bills and help provide high speed internet throughout the country.
The program targets low-income families who would benefit from the monthly savings. Qualifications are based on household income or enrollment in government programs like Medicaid and SNAP food benefits.
Biden said the program is “helping 19 million families save around $30 a month on their internet bills, and some save a lot more.”
He also announced the distribution of $40 billion to areas in the U.S. where there is slow or no service so high-speed internet can be provided to those who don’t currently have quality service where they live.
“Internet access is just as important as electricity, or water, or other basic services,” Biden said, mentioning the increase in work-from-home jobs that require fast internet connections within the household.
Biden said that “with this funding, along with other federal investments, we’re going to be able to connect every person in America to reliable, high-speed internet by 2030.”
Thousands of service workers have reportedly been recently employed to connect fiber-optic cable to rural American houses. Biden emphasized that the cable will be made in America and increase American production and job supply.
“As a lot of folks are tired of hearing me say, where in God’s name is it written that we can’t be the leading manufacturer in the world again?” Biden said.
