TruConnect, the nation’s fastest-growing Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) plan provider in the U.S. delivering affordable mobile products and services to low-income Americans, applauds the White House for its steps to address the digital divide and reduce high-speed internet costs for millions of Americans through its new getinternet.gov initiative. As a Lifeline provider for more than 10 years, TruConnect also emphasizes the need to ensure wireless broadband is part of the solution.
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“These are desperate times for individuals who cannot afford or don’t have access to high-speed internet service. It’s a necessity for opportunity—be it work, education, health, connection to family and friends—something we have witnessed first-hand with our customers since 2010,” commented Doug Lodder, president of TruConnect. “We commend the White House’s steps to improve affordable access and increase visibility of the available programs and providers across the county. We believe that these are the first steps of many toward closing the digital divide—our vision for full digital equity is where 100% of Americans are connected through a diverse network of solutions.”
Several studies point to the need for multiple network delivery solutions beyond fixed terrestrial. According to the Pew Research Internet Broadband Fact Sheet, 27% of people earning less than $30,000 annually did not have home broadband but relied on smartphones to stay connected. Further, the FCC shows that 99.9% of Americans have some kind of LTE coverage, whereas fixed terrestrial broadband is only deployed to 94% of the country. This gap highlights how the lowest-income Americans, and the 3.7 million people that are housing insecure or those untethered to a permanent address, will still be impacted by the digital divide without a solution that includes LTE delivery.
TruConnect has been on the front lines of digital equity since the inception of the Lifeline program, a discounted phone service for qualifying low-income consumers. As a mission-driven company, it has been solely focused on building solutions designed for its customers most in need, equipping more than 1.5 million Americans since May 2021 with free smartphones and service.It delivers an end-to-end connectivity solution comprising of a device and wireless connectivity, and also provides service through the federal ACP program. Uniquely providing Lifeline and the ACP, TruConnect expands its offerings beyond others in the market to include service, no-contract plans and devices it manufactures itself.