On January 25 2017, FCC Chairman Pai addressed the FCC and stated he is making closing the digital divide one of his top priorities. Since then, Chairman Pai has provided additional detail regarding his recent policy decisions that address this topic. Chairman Pai released a blog where he argued that the Lifeline program remains a critical FCC program and is “….vital that low-income Americans have access to communication services, including broadband Internet, which Lifeline helps to achieve…” Chairman Pai also reiterated his arguments for reconsidering nine companies’ eligibility into the Lifeline program which has caused concern among some stakeholders, "…First, our action only impacted 9 of the over 900 providers participating in the Lifeline program. In other words, 99% of the companies participating in the program are not affected at all. Second…"
Chairman Pai’s Digital Divide full statement can be viewed here.
