**EBBhelp.org Provides Potential Applicants with Eligibility Information, Answers to Frequently Asked Questions and Hotline for Help**
Today, the Federal Communications Commission announced that over one million people in one week signed up for the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program, opened on May 12 by the Federal Communications Commission as part of the emergency COVID-19 response by the federal government. MediaJustice released a new website EBBhelp.org to aid potential applicants considering applying for the EBB program that provides a direct payment by the government towards internet bills of up to $50 (or $75 on Tribal Lands) per month for eligible households. The program is temporary and will last until the $3.2 billion fund runs out.
Said Brandon Forrester, national organizer for internet rights and platform accountability at MediaJustice:
“The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program has the potential to help millions of families, too often people of color and other communities who have been historically divested from, get connected online and have access to everything the internet makes possible and is necessary for today. The high cost of high-quality internet service has posed a persistent barrier that keeps lower-income families from the resources they need to work, live and learn. We urge Congress to work with the Federal Communications Commission to put a permanent program in place to satisfy the needs of our communities after the EBB program is over.
“At EBBhelp.org, individuals can find out if they are eligible for free or discounted internet and will have access to all the tools they need to learn more about the benefits program and how to apply. To close the digital divide, we need to reduce the stigma of not being able to afford home broadband, demystify federal agency applications for these discounts and encourage people not to miss out on this opportunity to sign up for these long-awaited resources. Though more than a million people have enrolled in the EBB, the hard work of reaching the most disconnected and marginalized is still ahead of us and we hope EBBhelp.org is a tool anyone can use to help those in their communities to sign up who need them most.”
EBBHelp.org includes:
- Eligibility and benefit information
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tool to call the federal government’s EBB helpline from the site
Please feel free to share EBBHelp.org as a tool and let us know if you have any questions.
Contact: Christina DiPasquale, [email protected], 202.716.1953
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MediaJustice is dedicated to building a grassroots movement for a more just and participatory media—fighting for racial, economic, and gender justice in a digital age. MediaJustice boldly advances communication rights, access, and power for communities harmed by persistent dehumanization, discrimination and disadvantage. Home of the #MediaJusticeNetwork, comprised of more than 100 grassroots partners, we envision a future where everyone is connected, represented, and free.
