In case you missed the news we launched late last month, you may find that it is possible for you to save $50/month (up to $75/month for tribal areas) as part of the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit program. As part of their plan for keeping America connected during the hard times brought on by the Covid-19 virus, the new program was set to start rolling out on the 12th of this month.
Now, many internet service providers (ISPs) are offering user-friendly portals to help you walk you through this new benefit. The purpose of these portals is to help speed things along in identifying you, determining your eligibility, and then eventually rolling out the discounts to everyone. Eligibility also includes a potential $100 discount for a new laptop or tablet.
You can find these portals by visiting the website for your subscribed ISP. Some example portals include Cox Communications, Spectrum, Xfinity, AT&T, Verizon, and Cricket Wireless (to name a few). Don’t see yours listed? You can find a list of companies taking part using the FCC’s search page here. You can also find more information via FCC’s dedicated page for EBB (you can also register there).
Not everyone will qualify since you do have to meet certain criteria. However, assuming you do, you will want to register as soon as possible as funds are limited. Therefore it will be first come first serve. Make sure to follow the instructions of these portals precisely so you can avoid any delays or troubles that might cause you to get left behind.
Also, if you manage more than one account (ie, other accounts with the family), despite who is paying for what, make sure each connection/account is under a different email address, or the ISP and EBB program administrators will most likely butcher everything and give the rebated discount to the wrong account. We have heard of this happening a number of times now. I personally know one scenario where this happened and they did nothing to fix it. So make sure the account you are looking to apply for has a unique email that isn’t associated with any other individual’s account.
