Only Connect

      In today's America, the internet is basically an unregulated utility. Like water or electricity, we'd be hard-pressed to live without it -- yet many Americans are forced to do just that. They struggle to apply for jobs, for government assistance, for medical care...

     The Federal Communications Commission is trying to ameliorate this problem with its Emergency Broadband Benefit program. The EBB was launched by the FCC on a temporary basis in the early days of the pandemic; now it is being established long-term with money from the infrastructure bill recently passed by Congress. 

 

     The program helps people reduce their internet bills, usually by about $30/month. In many households, that could be the difference between letting the kids do homework in the living room and obliging them to do it at McDonalds (or some other place where the wifi is free). 

     Bitter irony: in order to get this internet assistance, you must...access the internet, either to apply online or print out an application. The website to visit is https://acpbenefit.org/ and it's live right now.