Emergency Broadband Benefit FAQ

No, the benefit is a monthly discount on broadband service of up to $50 per eligible household. The participating broadband service provider will receive the funds.

There are multiple providers of broadband services, including those offering landline and wireless broadband, participating in the program. Learn which providers in your area are participating by visiting fcc.gov/emergency-broadband-benefit-providers.

A household is eligible if one member of the household:

• Has an income at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, participates in SNAP, Medicaid or Lifeline
• Receives benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program
• Received a Pell grant this year
• Experienced a loss of income due to job loss or furlough since February 29, 2020 and had a total income in 2020 at or below $99,000 for dingle filers and $198,000 for joint filers

Yes, eligible consumers with a past due balance or balance in collections may apply.

Yes, the benefit is available to eligible new, prior, and existing customers of participating providers. The $50 benefit can also be applied to bundled services that charge a single fee for internet, TV and phone. It can also be used to cover the rental costs of routers, modems and hotspot devices.

No, the provider is only reimbursed for the plan.

There are multiple providers of broadband services, including those offering landline and wireless broadband. 

Learn which providers in your area are participating here: fcc.gov/emergency-broadband-benefit-providers. 

Yes, If you qualify, talk to your property manager/landlord and ask that they work with their broadband service provider to learn more about the benefits that might be available to you and other eligible residents.

The services and devices will be accessible to and usable by people with disabilities. If you have any concerns about whether your broadband service and equipment is accessible, contact the FCC’s Disability Rights office at 202.418.2517 for a voice phone call, at 844.432.2275 by videophone, or by email at DRO@fcc.gov.

If a school is offering lunch or breakfast free to all students regardless of income based on a program other than the Community Eligibility Provision, such as through COVID-19 waivers extending the Seamless Summer Option or Summer Food Service Program, then the household would not be eligible through the free and reduced price school lunch program or school breakfast program by virtue of an extension of the SSO or SFSP. Households may still enroll in the EBB Program if their school also participates in the Community Eligibility Provision, or the household separately applied for and has been approved for benefits in the free and reduced price school lunch program or school breakfast program in 2019-2020, 2020-2021, or 2021-2022, or through other bases of eligibility, such as income or participation in SNAP or Medicaid. 

Go to GetEmergencyBroadband.org to apply online and to find participating providers near you. After you apply, you will have to contact a participating provider to select an eligible plan. Eligible households need to both apply for the program and contact a participating provider to select a service plan. If you want to apply the monthly discount to your broadband service plan offered by your existing provider you will need to contact your provider. If you are already enrolled in Lifeline, you do not need to apply, but you must contact a participating provider to find out how you can apply your Emergency Broadband Benefit to an eligible service plan.

Yes, if you applied online at GetEmergencyBroadband.org and have been approved, you need to contact your preferred service provider to select an Emergency Broadband Benefit eligible service plan. If you want to apply the EBB discount to service with your current broadband provider you will need to contact your provider after your application is approved.

You will need to provide documents that prove your eligibility such as:

– Benefit award letters

– Approval letters

– A statement of benefits

– Benefit verification letter

– SNAP and Medicaid benefits may be automatically checked through an eligibility database.

– Pell Grant, documents should be from this academic year and can include, for example, screenshots of a StudentAid.gov dashboard that clearly documents the student’s receipt of a Pell Grant during the current award year, or a copy of the email sent to the applicant by the Department of Education about the EBB Program.

– Applicants may also need to provide documentation to confirm their identity or address.

You can learn more about the documentation you may need to provide and how to submit it by visiting: getemergencybroadband.org/how-to-apply/show-you-qualify.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is an emergency program developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will end once the program funds are exhausted. Your participating provider must give you notice about the last date or billing cycle that the full benefit will apply to your bill and the date or billing cycle that a partial benefit will apply to your bill, in addition to information about the cost of your broadband service after the program ends. Households will need to opt-in or request to continue broadband services with their provider. If you don’t opt-in or select a new service plan with your provider, your broadband service will end once the program ends. Even if you had service with the same provider before enrolling in the Emergency Broadband Benefit, you will need to opt-in to continue broadband services after the program ends.