The Federal Communications Commission has finalized a $3.2 billion program to provide a monthly discount for internet access to Americans in need. The emergency subsidies were approved by Congress in December as part of the stimulus-and-relief package.
"The first-of-its-kind emergency program aims to support families who are at or near the poverty line, workers who have recently lost their jobs, and students who receive some federal assistance to subsidize their higher-education costs. Many of these Americans will see their Internet bills reduced by as much as $50 a month in credits paid to their Internet service providers, and residents of tribal areas are eligible for even larger discounts," Tony Romm reports for The Washington Post. "The discounts are limited to one per household. Some families also may be eligible for a one-time credit of $100 to help them purchase a device to access broadband service. They will have to apply to receive the aid, which will be paid directly to Internet providers that register with the U.S. government and obtain permission to participate. Companies are not required to accept the benefits under the program."
Longtime Federal Communications Commission member Jessica Rosenworcel, now its acting director under President Biden, said she is especially concerned about poor and rural students' relative lack of internet access and hopes the new program will help close the "homework gap" (a term she coined some years ago), Alyson Klein reports for Education Week.
Who qualifies for the program? Here's a short list, per Clare Duffy of CNN Business:
- Households with at least one member who qualifies for the FCC's existing Lifeline support program. Lifeline serves low-income Americans, including those on Medicaid or who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
- Households whose children qualify for free or reduced-price school meal programs during the current or previous school year.
- Federal Pell Grant recipients.
- Households that have suffered a substantial loss of income since Feb. 29, 2020, will be eligible if their total household income for last year fell below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for join filers.
- Households that meet eligibility criteria for another low-income or coronavirus discount program from a participating provider.
from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/2OfEdaY FCC finalizes subsidized broadband program; see who qualifies - Entrepreneur Generations
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