U.S. President Joe Biden has agreed upon a massive $65 billion deal for lower Internet costs. After a tough one-and-a-half years of remote working, the stability and accessibly of internet connectivity has proven more important than ever.
As such, the new Biden deal aims to make internet connections more affordable to the everyday American. However, many are stressed at the lack of details surrounding the president’s project. As one of Biden’s biggest promises to the American people, is it good enough?
What is the Biden internet deal?
The president’s bipartisan broadband deal will now require ISPs to “offer a low-cost affordable plan”. A White House fact sheet explains that all American-operating immensity companies will have to abide by this rule if the deal passes Congress.
The deal aims to improve comparison shopping for customers. It'll do this by making ISPs create transparent pricing options without hidden fees. Furthermore, the $65 billion will be used to boost “competition in areas where existing providers aren't providing adequate service” and create “a permanent program to help more low-income households access the Internet.”
Government funding will be a massive part in this movement’s success. The White House press statement compares the deal to when “the federal government made a historic effort to provide electricity to every American nearly one hundred years ago.”
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Will the Internet be fast enough?
The president’s Internet bill does come with some shockingly sparse details. For starters, it's unknown which ISPs will be attempting to join in on the government deal. Secondly, there's no reference to any bar of quality that ISPs will have to hit.
Biden's deal should increase infrastructure and Internet speeds in areas where they falter. However, there's no definitive benchmark of speed that this deal has revealed. In an Ars Technica report, it's stated that a draft of the bill recommends 100Mbs down/20Mbs.
If true and achievable for ISPs, this would make the deal a fantastic improvement for rural Americans. Unfortunately, the deal also doesn’t mention a time frame of completion. Will this deal be completed within Biden’s presidency?
Summary
If the bill does pass in the coming days, the 46th president may have passed a fantastic bill for the American people. The sparse details are confusing and a tad worrisome. On the other hand, the current state of American Internet connections means it couldn't possibly get much worse.
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