Got Internet?

I was in 6th or 7th grade when I got my first full-fledged computer, an Apple //e. It sported a revision B motherboard which was capable of displaying 80 columns of text (instead of the standard 40 columns) and double high resolution graphics (instead of high resolution). It also contained expansion slots where you could add peripherals like a printer (Apple Dot Matrix Printer, baby!), extra floppy drives (5.25 inches, woot!) or a modem which sadly I did not have. I coveted a modem which at the time ranged from 300 to 1200 baud. It wasn’t until many years later and several computers later that I finally got a 33.6K dial-up modem for my Apple PowerBook 1400cs laptop computer.

At the time, internet access was for geeks, and most user interfaces involved some kind of command line which required the user to learn Apple DOS, MS-DOS Unix, VAX, or other operating systems. However, 2 things stimulated the masses of Americans to tinker with the internet. The first was the development of graphical user interfaces which were friendlier to use because most thing could be accomplished by pointing a cursor and clicking. The second was the introduction of America Online, Prodigy, CompuServe, Earthlink, and other internet service providers.

After the internet secured a foothold in the homes of millions of Americans, people started to demand faster internet speeds as well as solutions that did not restrict phone usage while using the internet (a major limitation of dial-up modems). Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) modems were faster than traditional dialup modems, but their usage was confined to niche settings, and people started referring to it as “innovation subscribers didn’t need”. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modems gained more traction than ISDN—they used the same copper wiring as telephone lines and could support telephone calls and internet usage simultaneously.

Nowadays the most commonly used broadband internet access option is cable, although other technologies such as satellite, 5G cellular, fiber-optic, and other options are also gaining popularity. The COVID-19 pandemic gave us even more reasons to use the internet, and internet access has evolved from a curiosity to a luxury to a necessity over the past few decades.

Today the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was announced as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. ACP lowers the cost of internet service for low-income households to reduce disparities in access to high-speed internet service. Households are eligible for ACP rebates if they participate in one of the following programs:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps
• Medicaid
• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
• Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
• Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, including at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision schools
• Federal Pell Grant (received in the current award year)
• Lifeline
• Certain Tribal assistance programs, including Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Head Start (only households meeting the income qualifying standard), Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF), and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

Several internet service providers are participating in ACP. To sign up for to find more details about service providers or how to qualify, visit http://GetInternet.gov.