Do you need affordable high-speed home internet service? You could get it for as little as $0 per month, thanks to a federal pandemic relief benefit, together with a low-cost plan from your local internet provider.
What is the benefit?
The FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) offers qualifying households up to $50 per month credit on their internet bill (or up to $75 on tribal land). Households can apply for EBB if they lost income due to furlough or unemployment, or are enrolled in government assistance such as CalFresh, MediCal or CalWORKs. For more information on who qualifies, visit https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit.
How do I apply for the benefit?
There are two steps.
- Go to GetEmergencyBroadband.org to submit an online application or print out a mail-in application.
- Contact your preferred participating internet provider to select an eligible plan and have the discount applied to your bill. Some providers have special low-cost plans available for low-income people and people receiving government assistance (such as CalFresh or CalWORKs).
Eligible households must both apply for the program and contact a participating provider to select a plan. Some internet providers may have an alternative application they will ask you to complete.
Your local internet provider may have low-cost plans available for low-income people. By enrolling in a low-cost plan and applying the EBB benefit, you may be able to reduce your net cost to as little as $0.
What is the future of the benefit?
The EBB is a temporary benefit and it is ending soon. It will be replaced by a new long-term program, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), on December 31, 2021.
The ACP is similar to the EBB, but the maximum benefit will decrease from $50 to $30 per month for most qualifying households (it will remain $75 for those on tribal lands). Households enrolled in the EBB Program as of December 31, 2021 will continue to receive their current monthly benefit during the 60-day transition period from the EBB to the ACP. So apply for EBB by December 31, 2021 to maximize your benefit!
There will be some new ways to qualify for ACP, such as receiving WIC benefits or having an income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Some households that qualify for EBB will need to requalify for ACP. (This includes households that qualified for EBB due to substantial income loss, or who meet the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s COVID-19 program).
Is a low-cost plan offered in my area?
Contact your local internet provider for information on the plans they offer. To see if your provider participates in the EBB program, or to find one that does, visit https://www.fcc.gov/emergency-broadband-benefit-providers.
By combining the EBB or ACP credit with a low-cost plan, your net cost could be as little as $0.
For example, here are the low-cost plans offered by Cox:
- Cox offers two low-cost plans for households enrolled in government assistance programs (such as CalFresh or MediCal). These programs do not require a credit check, long-term agreement, or deposit. They include a home wi-fi modem and a free self-installation kit. (Professional installation may be available for $20).
- Connect2Compete (about $10 per month) is for families with children in grades K-12.
- ConnectAssist (about $30 per month) is for households who do not qualify for Connect2Compete.
- For households that do not qualify for Connect2Compete or Connect Assist, two other reduced-cost options are available.
- Starter Internet is about $30 per month for 1 year with a 1-year agreement.
- Straight Up Internet is $50 per month including taxes, fees, and modem, with no long-term agreement.
- These plans also include access to Cox wifi hotspots, a security suite, and a digital academy educational videos and tutorials on how to stay safe and effective online.
- For more information or to apply, visit Cox.com/digitalequity.
Other providers operating in our county also offer low-cost plans for qualifying households. For example:
- AT&T's Access plan offers service for about $10 per month, with a free wireless router, and the option to buy a computer for about $150. It is available to households with at least one resident who participates in CalFresh (SNAP), SSI, or free school lunch, or meets income criteria. Visit https://accessatt.solixcs.com/#/home
- The Comcast/Xfinity Internet Essentials plan offers service for about $10 per month, with a free wireless router, and the option to buy a computer for about $150. It is available to households with at least one resident who participates in CalFresh, CalWORKs, MediCal, SSI, free school lunch, Head Start, public housing, Head Start, LIHEAP, WIC, Pell grant, VA pension, or tribal assistance (TTANF / FDPIR). Visit https://www.internetessentials.com/apply
- Spectrum's Internet Assist plan offers service for about $23 per month (including $5/month wireless router rental). It is available to households with a child who qualifies for free school lunch, and to seniors age 65 and over who receive SSI. Visit https://www.spectrum.com/internet/spectrum-internet-assist
- The Frontier Essentials Internet plan offers service for about $20 per month, with free installation and no deposit (there is a credit check). Visit https://www.getfrontierfiber.com/ebb-offer?icid=21july23_national_discountprograms_emergency_ebb_banner
Some companies may limit eligibility for these plans to people who do not already have a plan; be sure to ask.
