Congress created a $3.2 billion Emergency Broadband Benefit Program aimed at helping more low-income customers get access to broadband during the coronavirus pandemic, and the Federal Communications Commission now has to put together the details of how that will work.
The emergency broadband measure, which was part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 that was signed by President Donald Trump on December 27, directed the FCC to create the program, which would reimburse participating companies for providing discounted broadband service and connected devices to eligible households during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first step is for the FCC to put out a notice for public comment on the program, which it did on Monday.
