FCC emergency broadband program to help households starting Wednesday

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rolled out the $3.2 billion Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Wednesday. The Emergency Broadband Benefit is an FCC program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and so much more.

Charter Communications, a supplier of internet services to South Lake Tahoe residents and millions of others in the 41 states it operates in, announced its participation in the program.

Beginning today, households meeting the income thresholds are eligible for a credit up to $50 per month (up to $75 for households on Tribal Lands) toward qualifying plans for the duration of the program.

Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

A household is eligible if a member of the household meets one of the criteria below:

- Has an income that is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Lifeline;
- Approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision in the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year;
- Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
- Experienced a substantial loss of income due to job loss or furlough since February 29, 2020, and the household had a total income in 2020 at or below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers; or
- Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income or COVID-19 program.

The emergency program has been developed to bridge the internet accessibility divide in the country.

Charter is offering a variety of broadband options under the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, and all Spectrum Internet plans available have no modem fees, data caps, or contracts and include free self-installation. Interested consumers who are not currently Spectrum customers should visit spectrum.com/getqualified or call 1-855-662-9946. Current Spectrum customers can visit spectrum.net/broadbandbenefit to learn more.

“Charter has a long track record of increasing connectivity through expanding broadband access, adoption, and affordability,” said Catherine Bohigian, Charter Executive Vice President, Government Affairs. “Through our participation in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, we are further breaking down barriers to connectivity for American families, as part of our long-term commitment to advance access and improve broadband adoption.”

Consumers can verify their eligibility for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program through the Universal Service Administrative Co.’s Lifeline National Eligibility Verifier portal.

For more information on the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program for all service providers, including eligibility requirements, visit https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit/.