The Affordable Connectivity Program, which helped low-income Americans get online, is no more.
  • @grueEnglish
    2•24 days ago

    The government can’t really force a company to accept certain customers for free

    Sure it can, when the company in question is a regulated monopoly (as broadband ISPs very much are).

    • @secretlyaddictedtolinux
      0•24 days ago

      If the government tells a company “you’re going to take these customers, like it or not” it may result in expensive and time consuming legal challenges that the government may lose. There are checks and balances in the US at least.

      • @grueEnglish
        1•24 days ago

        I’m not sure you appreciate how old and well-established the government’s right to regulate de-jure monopoly utility companies actually is.

        • @secretlyaddictedtolinux
          1•23 days ago

          You’re probably right about this if you are certain I am wrong. I haven’t researched any laws on this, so perhaps there wouldn’t be long expensive annoying legal challenges that could be bypassed by crafting the law differently and it would be easier to be more direct.