Changes are coming to the Emergency Broadband Benefit

Thursday, December 02, 2021

The Affordable Connectivity Program to replace the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program in 2022

Congress recently created the Affordable Connectivity Program, a new $14 billion long-term program that will replace the temporarily-funded Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB), which was passed in 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting in 2022, families and individuals struggling to afford internet service can receive up to $30 off their monthly internet bill by signing up for the federal government’s new program.

Households enrolled in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program as of Dec. 31, 2021, will continue to receive their current monthly benefit during a 60-day transition period. You may sign up for the EBB through December. More information on how current benefit recipients can transition into the new program will be available soon.

Here’s what’s changing:

• The maximum benefit will change from $50 per month to $30 per month (the monthly benefit will remain at $75 for households on qualifying Tribal lands).
• Households that receive WIC benefits or have an income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines will qualify.
• Households that qualified for the Emergency Broadband Benefit due to a substantial loss of income resulting from a job loss or furlough since Feb. 29, 2020, or by meeting the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's COVID-19 program, will need to requalify for the Affordable Connectivity Program.

For more information, visit the Federal Communications Commission website or the EBB FAQ page.