22,000 Sign Petition to Modernize Lifeline Program

CWA and four other organizations gathered more than 22,000 signatures from activists who are urging the Federal Communications Commission to update the Lifeline program to include broadband services. The FCC is scheduled to vote on the proposal March 29.

The petitions, delivered March 23 to the FCC, said: "Today, broadband is as essential to modern life as telephone service was in the last century. But for too many families, economic factors remain a significant barrier to broadband adoption. The FCC must act to ensure all Americans – including low-income households – have access to modern telecommunications services. Vote yes – update Lifeline to include broadband service."

The FCC first adopted the Lifeline program in 1985 to ensure broad access to telephone service so people could fully participate in our society and economy. Updating the Lifeline program to include broadband will help close the digital divide and foster digital equality.

Outside the FCC, from left: Meredith Whipple, Public Knowledge; Charlie Braico, NABET-CWA President; Bernie Lunzer, NewsGuild-CWA President; Brian Thorn, CWA strategic research associate; Debbie Goldman, CWA research economist; Cheryl Leanza, United Church of Christ policy advisor, and Joe Torres, Center for Media Justice and MAG-Net.