The Emergency Broadband Benefit, or EBB, was launched May 12 to help a surprisingly wide range of people hit economically by the coronavirus pandemic. It can pay $50 every month toward the cost of Internet service, and it is available to all families who lost some income in the last year.
The program reflects one clear lesson from Covid-19: An Internet connection has become just as important to American life as electricity and water. Watching many people struggle to go to school, consult the doctor or work online during the pandemic helped Congress realize that the high price of broadband is a root cause of America’s digital divide. Read the Full Article.