PUC Announces the Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Broadband Benefits Program

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DENVER (May 11, 2021) - On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act became law and established an Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund of $3.2 billion in the United States Treasury to help Americans afford internet service during the pandemic. The Emergency Broadband Benefits Program is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program, administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), that uses federal funding to provide temporary discounts on monthly broadband bills for qualified low-income households.

If a household is eligible, it can receive:

  • Up to a $50/month discount on broadband service and associated equipment rentals
  • Up to a $75/month discount if the household is on tribal lands
  • A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)

Only one monthly service discount and one equipment discount per household is allowed.

The program begins on May 12, 2021 and will run until the fund runs out of money, or six months after the Department of Health and Human Services declares an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Persons interested in finding out more about the program and determining eligibility, should visit https://getemergencybroadband.org/.

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 About PUC

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) serves the public interest by effectively regulating utilities and facilities so that the people of Colorado receive safe, reliable, and reasonably-priced services consistent with the economic, environmental, and social values of our state.