Following FCC’s decision to subsidize broadband in low-income households, President Obama voiced support for the FCC’s ‘Lifeline’ subsidy and detailed a desire to migrate the initiative to better levels by 2020 to get 20 million low-income households subscribed to high-speed internet service.

President Obamas support will help drive the initiative’s desire to treat the broadband internet as a utility that should be available to all residents in the United States. Obama previously mentioned a “homework gap” that saw students unable to complete school assignments that required internet access.

President Obamas support will help drive the initiative’s desire to treat the broadband internet as a utility that should be available to all residents in the United States. Obama previously mentioned a “homework gap” that saw students unable to complete school assignments that required internet access.

“All of America’s students should be able to get online, no matter where they live or how much their parents make,” Obama said. “We’re calling this effort ConnectAll — and it’s not just good for students, it’s good for folks looking for jobs or workers hoping to learn new skills.”

At an average cost of approx. $52.50 per month, broadband is still not affordable enough for many low-income households. This results in heavy economic impact in many communities across the US.

The report released by The White House detailing these economic effects focuses on the disadvantage job seekers face without internet access. The report says job seekers who search online find employment 25 percent faster than those who use traditional job search methods.

It is expected to bring broadband adoption in the US to 82 percent up from current 76 percent by connecting 20 million more households.