Access to high-speed internet remains a prevalent problem in the US despite the government and corporations pushing for more job opportunities to become more digital.
The recent AT&T outage that affected nearly 100,000 people across the country has only highlighted the increasing difficulties for stable access to what seems to be an already essential part of living.
US Internet Service Fees Continue to Inflate
Just last year, the internet service provider hiked up its service fees for its older plans due to supposed inflation-related issues.
Despite the charge fee increasing, customers noted only a few improvements in their services.
According to research from Broadband Genie in 2023, the US currently sits at 32nd place in the world in terms of affordable internet, beaten by the likes of Russia, China, the UK, and Qatar.
With the government subsidy program to waive a big portion of internet bills running out of budget, more Americans are at risk of losing access to affordable high-speed connections.
Also Read: White House to Congress: Renew Funding for Internet Subsidy Program
Lack of Options for ISPs
Broadband Genie pointed out the "lack of competition and bigger distances" as the main factors of the high internet fees despite being more technologically developed than the other listed countries.
This makes it much easier for telecommunication companies to increase prices without much repercussion as people will still use their service largely due to a lack of options.
The situation is much worse in rural areas where the service fee is more expensive due to the lack of dedicated internet providers in places far from businesses.
Related Article: AT&T to Increase Service Fee for Unlimited Plans
US Gov't Inserts Effort Towards Internet Affordability Problem
That said, the US government is not taking steps to address the growing issue.
US President Joe Biden, despite being largely part of his reelection campaign, has been pushing for more budget towards the technology and communication industry in the US.
It is just that most efforts put in to relieve Americans from their burden from internet bills have been greeted with pushbacks and slowdowns from lawmakers and companies.
It did not help that the administration acted too late to propose solutions for the issue as inflation continues to wreak havoc across the state.
As of writing, the White House's proposed budget extension for the Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program remains unpassed.
