Under the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, eligible households can get a discount of up to $50 per month on internet service, or $75 per month for those living on Tribal lands. The discount also applies to modem/router fees. The program also offers a one-time discount of up to $100 toward the purchase of a laptop, desktop, or tablet from participating providers. Families have to pitch in between $10 and $50 toward the purchase price.
According to the FCC, the act that created the funding doesn't specify a minimum broadband speed for the program. We'll be asking some of the internet providers that participate in the program what speeds they'll be offering.
And while you can get the discount with internet plans bundled with phone and texting services, bundles with TV service aren't eligible.
The FCC already has a low-income program known as Lifeline that provides a discount of $9.25 per month that can be used on either fixed broadband or mobile phone service. But as the FCC's commissioner, Geoffrey Starks, said during a recent FCC webcast that only about 20 percent of those eligible for Lifeline actually sign up for the program. And of those who do, a majority choose to apply the discount to mobile service, not fixed internet service.
Jonathan Schwantes, senior policy counsel at Consumer Reports, calls the Emergency Broadband Benefit program "the first step of many that need to be taken to make internet service more affordable for Americans. If it wasn’t glaringly important before, the pandemic has confirmed the vital need of a broadband internet connection—one that is reliable, affordable, and for some of us, simply available."
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Emergency Broadband Benefit Program FAQ - ConsumerReports.org
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