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5/12/21 Emergency Broadband Benefit Program - Free $50 on Internet Monthly, $100 on Computer or Tablet

Let's get back to normalcy. Does normalcy fit into your schedule?
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Luke
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5/12/21 Emergency Broadband Benefit Program - Free $50 on Internet Monthly, $100 on Computer or Tablet

#1

Post by Luke »

This JUST became available today, May 12, 2021. The website is sluggish, but they are approving almost instantly. Thanks, President Biden.
The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program - Helping people stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic
The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is administered by USAC with oversight from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program that provides a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills for qualifying low-income households. If your household is eligible, you can receive:
Up to a $50/month discount on your broadband service and associated equipment rentals
Up to a $75/month discount if your household is on qualifying Tribal lands

A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)
Only one monthly service discount and one device discount is allowed per household.

The FCC has announced that consumers can begin applying for and enrolling in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program on May 12, 2021. The program will end when the fund runs out of money, or six months after the Department of Health and Human Services declares an end to the COVID-19 health emergency, whichever is sooner.
Here’s the link: The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program https://getemergencybroadband.org/


Not sure if we should have a topic for free government programs... have never used them but my Dad brought this up and wanted to share it. Buy me a coffee at Denny's while we indict somebody if it works out for you. 8-) :lol:
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Re: 5/12/21 Emergency Broadband Benefit Program - Free $50 on Internet Monthly, $100 on Computer or Tablet

#2

Post by zekeb »

I suppose if you MUST have internet access and cannot otherwise afford it.... Just what I need, slow internet service with a price or service that's subject to change.
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sugar magnolia
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Re: 5/12/21 Emergency Broadband Benefit Program - Free $50 on Internet Monthly, $100 on Computer or Tablet

#3

Post by sugar magnolia »

zekeb wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 1:34 pm I suppose if you MUST have internet access and cannot otherwise afford it.... Just what I need, slow internet service with a price or service that's subject to change.
You might be surprised how many people that is true for. Not sure why you assume it's "slow internet service" when it's a credit on your existing bill for whatever internet you already have, but slow internet is better than no internet, especially when you are trying to find a job or have kids doing distance learning. I suppose if you have the means, lightening fast internet with a favorable contract is something you take for granted, but if you don't, it can make a huge difference in your life. For that matter, a $50 credit towards any bill in any given month can make a huge difference in your life.
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Re: 5/12/21 Emergency Broadband Benefit Program - Free $50 on Internet Monthly, $100 on Computer or Tablet

#4

Post by p0rtia »

sugar magnolia wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 1:59 pm
zekeb wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 1:34 pm I suppose if you MUST have internet access and cannot otherwise afford it.... Just what I need, slow internet service with a price or service that's subject to change.
You might be surprised how many people that is true for. Not sure why you assume it's "slow internet service" when it's a credit on your existing bill for whatever internet you already have, but slow internet is better than no internet, especially when you are trying to find a job or have kids doing distance learning. I suppose if you have the means, lightening fast internet with a favorable contract is something you take for granted, but if you don't, it can make a huge difference in your life. For that matter, a $50 credit towards any bill in any given month can make a huge difference in your life.
My DSL from Verison is 1.5 Mb (in upstate NY). SLIC, the provider that got the contract to supply my county with 25 Mb cable as part of the NY 100 % Rural Broadband program, first said they would get to me in Sept 2019. Their contract calls for the entire county to be connected by Dec. 2020. As of today, I still has no date for when I might expect service hookup (nor does anyone else in my town).

I would kill for broadband, so that I could apply for a discount.
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Re: 5/12/21 Emergency Broadband Benefit Program - Free $50 on Internet Monthly, $100 on Computer or Tablet

#5

Post by LM K »

orlylicious wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 10:01 am :snippity:
Not sure if we should have a topic for free government programs... have never used them but my Dad brought this up and wanted to share it. Buy me a coffee at Denny's while we indict somebody if it works out for you. 8-) :lol:
THANK YOU! My students will find this extremely helpful! :bighug:
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Re: 5/12/21 Emergency Broadband Benefit Program - Free $50 on Internet Monthly, $100 on Computer or Tablet

#6

Post by Luke »

Zeke -- Not sure where you read that... it's for almost all internet providers. We have T-Mobile and use the phone as a hotspot, our bill just went down $50 a month. Here's Florida, chart is here: https://www.fcc.gov/emergency-broadband ... rs#Florida
Florida
Broadband Provider Name Service Type Checkmarks are ALSO Offering Connected Devices (Laptop, Desktop, or Tablet)
Access Wireless Mobile
Advanced Satellite Systems, Inc Fixed
AT&T Fixed/Mobile
Atlantic Broadband Finance Fixed
Boost Mobile Mobile
CenturyLink Fixed
Charter (Spectrum) Fixed
Comcast (Xfinity) Fixed
Community Broadband Networks Fixed ✔
Cox Fixed ✔
Data Stream Broadband Fixed
enTouch Wireless Mobile ✔
Frontier Communications Fixed
Gen Mobile Mobile ✔
good2go mobile Mobile
Go Technology Management Mobile
human-I-T Mobile ✔
Mediacom Fixed
Metro by T-Mobile Fixed/Mobile ✔
Myakka Communications Fixed
PCs for People Mobile ✔
Q Link Wireless Mobile ✔
Ready Wireless Mobile
Red Pocket Mobile ✔
Sano Health Mobile
Selectel Wireless Mobile ✔
StandUp Wireless Mobile ✔
TDS Telecommunications Corporation Fixed
T-Mobile USA Fixed/Mobile ✔
TM Telecomm Corp Fixed/Mobile ✔
TracFone Wireless Mobile ✔
TruConnect Mobile ✔
UVNV Mobile
Verizon Fixed/Mobile
Windstream Fixed ✔
WOW! Internet Cable and Phone Fixed
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Re: 5/12/21 Emergency Broadband Benefit Program - Free $50 on Internet Monthly, $100 on Computer or Tablet

#7

Post by MsDaisy »

I think they need to focus on extending actual hardwired Internet to more rural places like my house that doesn't have a choice of anything other than satellite, which is a rip off, or a hot spot or phone which is all we have. But when Verizon went down the two lane main road we're off of I stopped and asked the guys when they'd get around to us and the blatant answer was that he was sorry but there just weren't enough people down here for them to bother with. Down our country road around the bend is a trailer park with lots of kids many of which have access to nothing. Free broadband is not going to help them a bit and I’m sure there are millions more kids out there in rural areas across the country doing without anything at all.

IMHO Internet should be treated as a utility just like electricity.
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Re: 5/12/21 Emergency Broadband Benefit Program - Free $50 on Internet Monthly, $100 on Computer or Tablet

#8

Post by sugar magnolia »

MsDaisy wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 4:30 pm I think they need to focus on extending actual hardwired Internet to more rural places like my house that doesn't have a choice of anything other than satellite, which is a rip off, or a hot spot or phone which is all we have. But when Verizon went down the two lane main road we're off of I stopped and asked the guys when they'd get around to us and the blatant answer was that he was sorry but there just weren't enough people down here for them to bother with. Down our country road around the bend is a trailer park with lots of kids many of which have access to nothing. Free broadband is not going to help them a bit and I’m sure there are millions more kids out there in rural areas across the country doing without anything at all.

IMHO Internet should be treated as a utility just like electricity.
Not just rural areas. We have apartments in the middle of downtown of the capital city of our state, literally within sight of the State Capitol, and our only choice to provide our tenants with internet (wifi) is dish service. No hard wired internet services because there are not enough people to make it worth it to the companies to provide the wiring. We could pay the $8000 they asked for, like the bank next door did, for our own wiring or use the dish service. One of our tenants shares custody of 3 school age children trying to attend on-line school and 2 of our tenants work from home. Every once in a while we get excited about a new cable service sending us a mailer about internet coming to our address, only to be disappointed when we call and find out what they really mean is "internet coming close to our address" with the always offered option of paying several thousand dollars for them to run it to our building specifically.
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Re: 5/12/21 Emergency Broadband Benefit Program - Free $50 on Internet Monthly, $100 on Computer or Tablet

#9

Post by Reality Check »

MsDaisy wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 4:30 pm :snippity:
IMHO Internet should be treated as a utility just like electricity.
I somewhat agree but there can be a large cost of for electricity. We built a place in rural Colorado several years ago and even though the transformer was only a few hundred feet away we had to pay around $8k to get them to run the line to our house. Our internet choice was also only satellite or a hot spot that worked only half the time. We chose satellite and it really sucks.

It seems Starlink will be a game changer for rural areas. Even early beta testers are getting good speeds and reliable coverage. The cost is high but hopefully that will come down. I have mixed feelings about whether it is a good idea to throw all these thousands of satellites up there.
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Re: 5/12/21 Emergency Broadband Benefit Program - Free $50 on Internet Monthly, $100 on Computer or Tablet

#10

Post by MsDaisy »

sugar magnolia wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 5:15 pm
MsDaisy wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 4:30 pm IMHO Internet should be treated as a utility just like electricity.
Not just rural areas.
True but if it was treated it as a utility they'd have to wire and regulate everyone everywhere. One of these days I hope... :pray:
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Re: 5/12/21 Emergency Broadband Benefit Program - Free $50 on Internet Monthly, $100 on Computer or Tablet

#11

Post by sugar magnolia »

MsDaisy wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 5:28 pm
sugar magnolia wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 5:15 pm
MsDaisy wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 4:30 pm IMHO Internet should be treated as a utility just like electricity.
Not just rural areas.
True but if it was treated it as a utility they'd have to wire and regulate everyone everywhere. One of these days I hope... :pray:
No argument from me. As long as people are basically being required to use internet (our water bill can only be paid on line or by driving to an outlet that accepts payments) I think internet should be available. It's an incredible handicap and expense for people without, and those same people tend to already be handicapped economically.
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Re: 5/12/21 Emergency Broadband Benefit Program - Free $50 on Internet Monthly, $100 on Computer or Tablet

#12

Post by p0rtia »

MsDaisy wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 4:30 pm I think they need to focus on extending actual hardwired Internet to more rural places like my house that doesn't have a choice of anything other than satellite, which is a rip off, or a hot spot or phone which is all we have. But when Verizon went down the two lane main road we're off of I stopped and asked the guys when they'd get around to us and the blatant answer was that he was sorry but there just weren't enough people down here for them to bother with. Down our country road around the bend is a trailer park with lots of kids many of which have access to nothing. Free broadband is not going to help them a bit and I’m sure there are millions more kids out there in rural areas across the country doing without anything at all.

IMHO Internet should be treated as a utility just like electricity.
This was my situation for years -- until one day they changed their policy. Of course I pay $80 a month for the cheapest phone plan and my 1.5 Mb DSL.

The solution for my dead end dirt road is New York's state plan for 100 percent rural broadband. Not the whim of a phone company. IOW a state-subsided program. I :heart: NY.
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