Google to Offer Internet Service for Free in White House Program

Bloomberg reports:

Google Inc. and other companies will offer free or low-cost Internet service to more than 275,000 low-income households as part of President Barack Obama’s effort to expand U.S. broadband service, the White House said.

Obama will discuss the new program, called ConnectHome, during a Wednesday speech at a high school in Durant, Oklahoma. Google will offer some residents of public housing communities free subscriptions to its Google Fiber service. Other companies, including Sprint Corp. and CenturyLink Inc., will offer free plans or monthly prices as low as $9.95, according to a White House statement.

“While many middle-class U.S. students go home to Internet access, allowing them to do research, write papers, and communicate digitally with their teachers and other students, too many lower-income children go unplugged every afternoon when school ends,” according to the statement.

Obama has made expanding broadband access a priority, pushing for more airwaves for mobile Internet access and greater funding for high-speed Internet in schools. As part of ConnectHome, businesses will provide digital literacy classes in communities, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will require new public housing developments to support broadband, according to the White House statement.

Guess who's going to pay for "free" internet service for many poor people? You guessed it. Expect higher bills in the coming years.