Subsidized Internet Coming To Virgin Islands Low-Income Households Following F.C.C. Vote

ST. CROIX  -- The Federal Communications Commission approved on Thursday a $9.25 monthly broadband subsidy to help millions of low-income households connect to the Internet. Three of the agency’s five commissioners voted for the subsidy plan, with two against. The approval, which comes as part of the reform of a fund known as the Lifeline program -- of which the Virgin Islands is a part -- is the latest push by the F.C.C. to treat broadband like a public utility, as high-speed Internet has become increasingly crucial to households, used for doing homework, finding and maintaining employment, and completing other basic tasks. The vote, falling along party lines, ensures that “Americans can access the dominant communications platform of the day,” said Tom Wheeler, the chairman of the F.C.C. Currently, one in five people do not have access to broadband at home, and the vast majority of those disconnected are poor. Only about 40 percent of people earning less than $25,000 a year can afford...