Save $50 on Internet with the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program & Get a Free Tablet w/ Wifi for a Year for $25

 

 

This past weekend, a local FCC agent was in West Augustine signing residents up for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. This program is offered by the FCC to help households struggling to pay for their broadband access due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

FCC Agent Jamie Slayton signing West Augustine residents up to get a free tablet and 1 year of wifi for $25

 

The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program enables households to save up to $50 on their Internet bill.

The program will end either when the $3.2 billion allocated to the program runs out, or six months after the Department of Health and Human Services declares an end to the pandemic.

 

Who is Eligible for Help Through the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program:

• Those households with an income at or below 135 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines 
• Households that participate in programs, such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Medicaid, or Lifeline.
• You can qualify through your child, if your child receives one of the services but you don't. 
  
• Households where a student has been approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Community Eligibility Provision in the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year
• Anyone who has received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year.
• Anyone who has 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 Meet the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income or COVID-19 program. 

 

How To Get help through the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program:

• Contact your Internet provider directly to check, if they are participating in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.
• Apply online at GetEmergencyBroadband.org
• Find participating providers at GetEmergencyBroadband.org
• Call 1-833-511-0311 to request a paper application, and send it by mail. The application must be submitted with copies of documents showing proof of eligibility for the benefit and be posted to the following address: Emergency Broadband Support Center, P.O. Box 7081, London, KY 40742. 

How To Get a Free Tablet with Internet for a Year:

There is an additional benefit to the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, which includes a $100 discount off a laptop, tablet or desktop computer. However, this part of the program seems to have a glitch, so that the only way to participate is to go through a local agent, where you can get a tablet for $25. It is not possible to purchase your own laptop, tablet or desktop computer and get the discount at this time until and unless the glitch in the program is fixed. While a $25 tablet with free wifi may seem like a great deal, the program could have been better implemented. 

• You can get a free tablet with Internet for a year for $25, if you contact a local FCC agent.
• You can get a free tablet with Internet for a year for $25 through T-mobile here.
  

 

 

See more details and questions about eligibility for the Emergency Broadband Benefit program here.