FCC Approves $ 50 Per Month Internet Grants For Low-Income Households During Pandemic



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The agency’s $ 3.2 billion broadband emergency benefit program provides qualifying low-income households with credit of up to $ 50 per month on their Internet bills through their provider up to ‘at the end of the pandemic. In tribal areas, eligible households can receive up to $ 75 per month. The program also offers eligible households up to $ 100 off a computer or tablet.

Deployment of the Covid-19 vaccine highlights inequalities in Internet access
The program created by Congress aims to bridge the digital divide, which has become painfully apparent over the past year as millions of Americans have been forced to work and learn remotely. Some have also expressed concerns that the digital divide could affect access to the vaccine, as registrations are usually done online.
For years, industry critics have pointed out that inaccurate broadband maps, lack of business investment, and insufficient focus on rural areas were key barriers preventing millions of Americans from connecting to the internet. . The FCC officially estimates that 21 million Americans do not have high-speed internet access, but skeptics, including some within the FCC, said the real number is likely much higher.

Last year, Congress passed a coronavirus relief program containing provisions for the FCC’s new program. And the FCC established a new task force this year to improve the data it collects on broadband availability, which may ultimately help the agency better target its efforts to close the gap.

Registration for the Internet benefits of the pandemic could begin within the next 60 days, said Jessica Rosenworcel, interim president of the FCC, after the agency put in place the systems necessary to work with Internet providers.

“This is a program that will help those at risk of disconnecting from digital,” Rosenworcel said in a statement. “It will help those who sit in cars in parking lots just to pick up a Wi-Fi signal to go to work online. This will help those who stay outside the library with a laptop just to get a wireless signal for distance learning. who worry about choosing between paying a broadband bill and paying rent or buying groceries. “

Households eligible for the program include those who use food stamps, are on Medicaid, or have received a Pell grant. Also eligible are those who lost their jobs during the pandemic.

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