Verizon, AT&T want to kill Lifeline [telecom]

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By Mike Dano

AT&T and Verizon are looking to extricate themselves from the messy business of building a bridge across the digital divide. Instead of collecting money themselves for the government's aging Lifeline pro- gram - designed to subsidize telecom services for poor Americas - they want Congress to do it instead.

The move is well timed. A pandemic forcing almost everyone to work and school online has helped to elevate Internet connections from nice-to-have to must-have. And the incoming Biden administration has pledged support for universal broadband.