The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to adopt a program that offers emergency discounts of up to $ 50 per month for broadband Internet services for low-income households. The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program also offers up to $ 75 per month for households in Native American countries and a one-time discount of up to $ 100 on a tablet or computer for those who qualify.
The $ 3.2 billion for the program was approved by Congress in December as part of a $ 900 billion aid package for the coronavirus. The grants are available to households already participating in an ISP’s low-income or pandemic assistance program, subscribers to the Lifeline program, households with children who receive free meals at school or are cheaper, recipients of Pell Grant, people on Medicaid or SNAP receive benefits, and others who have lost their jobs in the past year, the commission said.
The FCC still needs to set up a program to approve applicants for the program and to bring Internet service providers on board, The New York Times report.
The lack of stable internet service in the US was in the spotlight during the pandemic as students in low-income areas struggled to participate in virtual classes. The FCC said last year that at least 18 million people in the U.S. do not yet have reliable Internet connections, but the number is apparently much higher; the FCC considers a zip code to be broadband if only one home in a census block has internet service.
“This is a program that will help those at risk of digital disconnection,” Jessica Rosenworcel, acting chair of the FCC, said in a statement Thursday. ‘It will help those sitting in cars in parking lots to just get a WiFi signal to go to work online. This will help those who linger outside the library with a laptop, just to get a wireless signal for distance learning. ‘
Rosenworcel said the program will be available within 60 days.