2018 Annual Report Spotlight: Protecting the Public Airwaves

February 6, 2019

In the last installment of our ongoing series featuring stories from Voqal’s FY 2018 Annual Report: Be Nimble, we take a look at our efforts to ensure the country’s telecommunications resources are benefiting the public.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has a duty to the public – the airwaves belong to the people. The federal government handed most of the airwaves out decades ago for free, with the expectation that they’d be used to inform, educate and enrich the public. That’s why Voqal believes FCC policy should be focused on ensuring the country’s telecommunications resources and infrastructure contribute to a socially equitable world for all. And why we engage with the FCC and other government agencies on telecommunications and broadcast rules and policies.

Recent efforts by the FCC to destabilize Lifeline – a program created in 1985 during the Reagan administration to help defray the cost of communications for low-income households – caused our policy team to leap into action once again.

Lifeline was created to make modern telecommunications services more affordable to those who can least afford them. Voqal believes connectivity is vital to participate in the 21st Century economy, as well as our democracy. Lifeline helps low-income households connect to jobs, complete homework assignments and access emergency services.

Broadband connectivity and affordability makes our entire country stronger, better connected and more competitive.

To learn more about our work from the past year download Voqal’s FY18 Annual Report: Be Nimble.