Seattle Mayor Ed Murray has joined mayors and city officials from across the country to support the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposal to improve Internet access for low-income families through the federal Lifeline program. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray has joined mayors and city officials from across the country to support the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposal to improve Internet access for low-income families through the federal Lifeline program.
“Lifeline modernization will benefit our community members and help us tackle the pressing but rewarding challenges of local governance,” the 44 mayors wrote to the FCC. “Getting more low-income households online will help modernize delivery of public services. Most importantly, Lifeline modernization will help our school children and give them better opportunities to succeed.”
The letter was coordinated by Next Century Cities, a nonprofit membership organization of mayors and other elected city leaders working to ensure fast, affordable, and reliable Internet access for all of their residents.
“Since its inception, the Lifeline program has helped millions of American families have access to critical telecommunications services,” said Deb Socia, Executive Director of Next Century Cities. “These 44 Next Century Cities mayors and city leaders hope to bring the Lifeline program into the 21st century by including the essential broadband infrastructure that so many of their residents rely on today.”
In the letter, city leaders encouraged the FCC to ratify the proposal to modernize the Lifeline program, stressing the need to put broadband in reach for low-income families in order to enhance education, civic engagement, and economic opportunity. The mayors’ letter also specified principles they support in a Lifeline proposal, including a portable benefit that promotes competition and a budget-neutral approach to Lifeline modernization.