The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched a short-term Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program, which will provide reduced cost broadband internet service for eligible New York City households during the COVID-19 pandemic. All families with a student enrolled in a DOE school or program are eligible for this benefit, and funds will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis until the program has exhausted available funds or six months after the US Department of Health and Human services declares an end to the COVID-19 health emergency.

Families can find out if they are eligible, apply for the program, and find participating broadband providers via the USAC website. There are two types of benefits available to eligible households:

• Monthly Benefit: a discount of up to $50/month for broadband service, equipment, and device rentals; or

• One-time Device Discount: up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of $10 - $50), where available.

Families can visit the FCC’s EBB webpage and view this FAQ to learn more about the EBB program. Translated materials are available via the following links: Spanish, Arabic, Amharic, Burmese, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

If families have questions or require support with an application, they can email EBBHelp@usac.org or call (833) 511-0311.

Here’s how it works.

We’re committed to helping 10 million eligible households over the next 5 years. Eligible families are those who don’t have an internet connection and are enrolled in the National School Lunch program. If selected, the family will receive 100GB of mobile data per year and a FREE mobile hotspot, plus the opportunity to purchase devices at a low cost.