A former employee of a well-known internet service provider has come forward to expose the shortcomings of the company’s low-income WiFi offerings. This revelation highlights the challenges faced by families relying on these services for online learning during the pandemic.
Since the onset of remote education in March 2020, many households have had to adapt to a new way of learning. Parents have taken on dual roles as both caregivers and educators, while children navigate their education through screens. Unfortunately, some internet providers are taking advantage of this increased demand for WiFi. Among them, one company has been criticized for providing inadequate internet speeds to low-income families, effectively trapping them in a cycle where the only solution presented is to pay for a more expensive plan.
Lucas Grant, a former employee of the company, recently gained attention on social media after he shared insights about the “Internet Basics” program, which he described as a misleading package aimed at low-income households. “I just left my job at the company, and I want families to understand that the special program they offer for $9.95/month only provides 25 Mbps, which is often insufficient for kids to participate in their online classes,” he tweeted.
The “Internet Basics” plan is aimed specifically at families already receiving other forms of assistance, such as food stamps. Lucas explained to reporters that he decided to resign because he frequently received calls from families struggling to connect to the internet. The only way he could assist them was to suggest they upgrade to a more expensive service.
He elaborated, saying, “If the service was functioning properly, there wouldn’t be so many complaints.” In a blog post, he characterized the “Essentials” plan as barely sufficient for a single user and noted that issues could arise depending on the number of devices in use, the modem’s location, and how many users were connected at once.
In response, a group of high school students from Baltimore banded together to advocate for better internet access. Mia Thompson, a senior, shared her struggles with using the “Essentials” package. “Sometimes it takes me an hour to log into my online classes, which means I have to join late. This makes it hard to stay focused, especially now that I have limited class time each week,” she said.
Mia and her peers formed a group called CONNECT, which stands for Community Outreach for New Connectivity. They penned a letter to the internet provider demanding improved access to affordable internet, specifically requesting an increase in speeds from 25 Mbps to 100 Mbps. Despite their efforts, which included petitions and press events, the company initially dismissed their requests.
However, after nearly a year of advocacy, CONNECT announced that the company would upgrade its Internet Basics plan to offer 50 Mbps starting March 1, 2021, at no additional cost. While this increase is not as significant as the group initially sought, it marks a step in the right direction. Thanks to the relentless efforts of Mia Thompson and whistleblowers like Lucas Grant, families can now look forward to slightly better connectivity.
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In summary, a former internet service employee has shed light on the inadequacies of low-income WiFi packages, prompting a group of students to advocate for better service. Their efforts have led to an upgrade in internet speeds, showing that collective action can lead to change.