I am passing this on for the Center for Rural Strategies. Firsthand stories are so persuasive so I hope folks will help spread the word and get the firsthand stories into the right hands to amplify to make a difference. Thanks!!

Lifeline is a federal program that provides discounted telephone service (landline or wireless) to qualifying low-income individuals. The Federal Communications Commission is considering allowing Internet providers to offer discounted broadband service via the Lifeline program. This would help low-income Americans to afford internet service.

The FCC will face opposition to this reform from members of Congress that dislike social benefit programs. The Rural Broadband Policy Group supports offering Internet service via the Lifeline program, and will begin documenting stories about the benefits of the program and how Internet can help improve the lives of rural residents. We need your help finding these stories.

Could you help us identify a person in your community that:

• Has used Lifeline phones to improve their lives?

• Wants to use Internet service to improve their lives, and would like Lifeline to offer this service?

We would like to feature these stories in blogs, news publications, and video at the Rural Broadband Tales webpage. These stories will help us encourage the FCC and Congress to offer affordable broadband service to low-income Americans.

We are hoping to have these stories by July 31. Thank you for considering our request.

In solidarity,

Danielle & Edyael

Danielle King, MPH
Program and Research Associate
Center for Rural Strategies
46 East Main Street
Whitesburg, Kentucky 41858