Biden and US Vice President Kamala Harris will unveil the agreement on Monday at a ceremony with executives from the companies that have agreed to cutting prices or increasing internet speeds for millions of people across the country.
The commitments are part of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which is an aspect of the Biden administration's infrastructure law passed with support from Republicans and Democrats last year. Its goal is to help low-income households reduce their internet bills by as much as $30 (£24) a year.
Currently, 27.6 million (22.5 per cent) of US households don’t have home internet, and over a quarter-million still use dial-up internet.
The increasing rate of digitalisation of services such as education and healthcare brought forth by the pandemic has only served to widen the digital divide. A study by the US’ National Assessment of Educational Progress suggests that poor students are less likely to have the equipment...