March 11, 2021
The FCC recently established the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, which will make $3.2 billion in funding from the December COVID-19 relief package available to help lower-income Americans pay for broadband service. Qualifying households could earn up to $50 per month (or $75 on tribal lands) towards their broadband service.
This broadband subsidy will be especially impactful for lower-income people of color. According to a recent Morning Consult poll, nearly half of this group reported being concerned about paying their internet or phone bills, a full 10 percentage points higher than the share of lower-income white people who said the same.
Source: Morning Consult