AT&T Exploits Massive Loophole to Deny Budget Internet to Some Low-Income Customers

[SusanCalvin]

Grrrrrrr....

When AT&T merged with DirecTV, the Federal Communications Commission mandated the company give anyone on food stamps internet service for a monthly fee of $10 or less. The program, which launched in April, is called “Access From AT&T” and requires the company to charge SNAP recipients $10 (plus tax) if the download speed “technically available” in their area is 5 or 10 Mbps. Poor folks in areas where the download speed “technically available” is 3 Mbps pay $5 (plus tax).

But as the National Digital Inclusion Alliance attempted to help people apply for this discount, the organization discovered that many were told “the program was unavailable at their addresses” even if AT&T internet service was available in their neighborhood.

The NDIA figured out that AT&T was able to deny SNAP beneficiaries discounted internet service in areas where the fastest speed available was less than 3 Mbps. And while you might think such slow internet is a rarity in rural areas, it actually accounts for around 21% of blocks in Cleveland and Detroit. The blocks with internet service below 3 Mbps constitute some of the cities’ poorest areas.

http://gizmodo.com/at-t-exploits-massive-loophole-to-deny-budget-internet-1786295847

[lostnfound]

1. Is there ANY measure by which our society doesn't treat our poor like dirt??

If there was a way to deprive them of sunlight and of air with standard concentration of oxygen, our punitive heartless economic system would do it.

[Egnever]

2. Well sure

The intent of the requirement of the merger was certainly not to treat poor people like dirt.

[lostnfound]

3. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Sociopathic decision making, whoever decided at AT&T that the slower speeds meant no service would be provided.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

4. 3/mbps? I'd be grateful just to get off satellite regardless of speed.

We can't even get 56k modem service.

[SusanCalvin]

5. Yeah, we have been in that situation.

But AT&T is using slow speed to deny low-cost service.