Emergency Broadband Benefit
The Emergency Broadband Benefit is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program to help eligible households pay for internet service during the pandemic. This new benefit will connect qualifying households to jobs, critical healthcare services, and virtual classrooms.
Who is eligible for the Emergency Broadband Benefit?
A household is eligible if a member of the household meets one of the criteria below:
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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;
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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;
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Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
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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
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Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income or COVID-19 program.
Learn more about the Emergency Broadband Benefit.
Applying for the Emergency Broadband Benefit
There are three ways for eligible households to apply: