The Emergency Broadband Benefit offers a single monthly discount for broadband service and one device purchase discount per household. This initiative served as a short-term remedy for pandemic-related internet access issues and was later succeeded by the more enduring Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), offering comparable advantages. In this article, you will get to know about ACP and can explore the broadband internet program through previous stats and other information. At Club HDTV, you can understand the complete details of the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.
Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
The EBB program has been succeeded by the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which allocates the best broadband deal with $30 monthly towards a household’s internet expenses. However, households situated in Tribal regions or high-cost areas may qualify for increased assistance of up to $75 per month. You could potentially be eligible for the ACP if at least one individual within your household satisfies any of the following conditions.
- Qualifies for the Lifeline Program.
- Authenticated for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP).
- Approves a Pell Grant within the current year.
- Presently eligible for specific low-income programs offered by the best broadband internet.
- Granted assistance through SNAP or WIC.
The ACP program has been obtained from the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program which was started in 2021 to help users impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant differences between these two programs involve a decrease in the per-month advantage and the changes to a few of the eligibility criteria. Families on WIC are now eligible for the ACP, while a significant reduction in income during 2020 no longer serves as a qualification for the program. Moreover, the upper limit of income for households eligible for the program has been raised from 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines to 200.5%. The ACP was implemented earlier and a 60-day transition phase was in place during which individuals who met the requirements for the EBB program continued to receive its benefits.
Who Qualifies for the Emergency Broadband Benefit?
To be eligible for the EBB program, you need to meet at least one of the following criteria asked by the best broadband providers.
- Qualify for Lifeline, SNAP, Medicaid, FPHA, SSI, the Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit, or specific tribal programs.
- Maintain an income equal to or less than 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
- Engage in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), or the USDA Community Eligibility Provision during the 2019–2020 school year.
- Receive a Federal Pell Grant during the ongoing award year.
- Experience a significant loss of income after February 29, 2020, leading to a total income below $99,000 for single filers or $198,000 for joint filers in the year 2020.
- Be eligible for a participating best broadband deal existing low-income or COVID-19 program.
Which Internet Providers Do Offer the Emergency Broadband Benefit?
The FCC offered an extensive roster of the best broadband providers engaged in the EBB program. The participants differed based on their locations and areas of operation, which might include solely fixed internet, mobile internet, or both. Additionally, these participants might have or have not extended discounts on new laptops, desktops, or tablets. To ascertain the carriers that participated in your specific state or region.
EEB Program Participants
| Internet Providers | EBB Participants | Offering Discount on Device Purchase |
| AT&T | Yes | No |
| Spectrum | Yes | No |
| Boost Mobile | Yes | No |
| Xfinity | Yes | No |
| CenturyLink | Yes | No |
| COX | Yes | Yes |
| EarthLink | Yes | No |
Emergency Broadband Benefit Stats
During the initial 12 days, more than 1.5 million households registered for the EBB program. By June 13, 2021, around 2,553,283 households were actively participating in the program, of which 66,505 were tribal households. Here are additional statistics extracted from data released on June 14, 2021.
- The EBB program saw the involvement of over 900 best broadband providers.
- Within the week spanning June 7 to June 13, a total of 239,336 households joined the EBB program.
- California witnessed the highest number of enrollments up to 250,234 households.
- On the other end, Wyoming had the lowest number of enrollments, with just 783 households.
- Combined enrollments from American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands amounted to 81,474 households.
- The overall allocated funding for the program stood at $3,136,000,000.
- However, information regarding the exact amount claimed to support these households remains undisclosed at present.
The above points can help you understand the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program in detail. However, there are multiple broadband internet providers offering broadband internet near me.
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