CLEVELAND — James Schultz is a Lakewood Navy veteran who is concerned he'll no longer be able to afford the internet service he desperately needs as the federal Affordable Connectivity Program ends at the end of April.
Schultz told News 5 the program was sending him $30 a month to help him with his internet bill, but now that the federal bill to extend the program stalled in Congress, he's concerned there will be no way he'll be able to afford internet service to meet a wide variety daily tasks.
"It’s going to crush me, it's going to change my life style when ordering my meds, checking my test results, my housing is going to be a pain in the butt because they went digital," Schultz said. “The only internet companies in Lakewood are Spectrum, Cox and AT&T and their cheapest bill is $50 dollars a month, I can't afford that.”
But Schultz is far from alone, with an estimated 1-in-4 Ohioans relying on the Affordable Connectivity Program, along with some 23 million families across the country.
Cleveland Senior Policy Advisor Austin Davis told News 5 the city is racing to try and fill the low-cost internet service void, partnering with the non-profit Digital C internet program at the beginning of 2024.
“The city was very excited to partner with Digital C because their price was so competitive at $18 a month," Davis said. "Right now Digital C is covering about 17,000 homes, but we expect the entire city will have access to the service by July of 2025."
Davis said low-income Northeast Ohio residents should also look into applying for the Federal Communication Commission's Lifeline Internet program. David told News 5 that Lifeline offers great internet service at an extremely low cost, but there are some stringent income requirements to qualify for the service.
“If you’re at 135% of the poverty line or below, if you use SNAP benefits, if you use Medicaid, you should be able to get $9.25 a month for your communications needs, Davis said. “It’s going to make a big difference in a lot of people’s pocketbooks.”
Davis said low-income Cleveland seniors should also consult the City of Cleveland Technology Resource Guide to explore other avenues of assistance.
Meanwhile, Schultz told News 5 he's hoping Lakewood will soon make Digital C internet service available because he's concerned too many people in Northeast Ohio and across the country will lose a crucial daily resource.
“Ten million people in every state in this country are on this program and I’m one of them," Schultz said. "If I can't find low-cost internet it's really going to hurt me and so many other people."
News 5 is committed in following through on this developing story.
