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NC Gov. Cooper wants to help families pay for high-speed internet. Here's how.

Fayetteville Observer - 5/17/2021

May 17—North Carolina families working and learning from home due to the pandemic can get assistance to pay for high-speed internet beginning Wednesday, according to Gov. Roy Cooper.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, a $3.2 billion federal initiative, saves families up to $50 a month on a household internet bill. On Tribal lands, families can save up to $75 a month.

Eligible households can also receive a one-time payment of $100 for a laptop, tablet or desktop computer purchased through providers participating in the program.

"Many North Carolina families struggle to afford high-speed internet," Cooper said in a news release. "The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program will help bridge the digital divide so that people in need can get online to talk with their doctors, learn remotely, find or do work, and connect with friends and family."

Enrollment opens May 12 and Cooper urged anyone who qualifies to apply for the program.

Households with an income at or less than 135% of the federal poverty guidelines are eligible, according to a news release from the governor's office. Households that have one person receiving Medicaid, SNAP, or Lifeline; get free or reduced school lunch; lost a job or a significant amount of income in the past year; got a Federal Pell Grant; or are part of an internet service provider's low-income or COVID-19 programs, also qualify.

Jim Weaver, secretary for the N.C. Department of Information Technology, said affordability is one of the barriers preventing more North Carolinians from accessing high-speed, high-quality internet.

"This benefit can spur demand for building infrastructure to bring that service into areas of the state that have little or no access to broadband," Weaver said in the release.

The Emergency Broadband Benefits Program was created by Congress in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The act is intended to help Americans have access to healthcare, jobs, classrooms and businesses during the pandemic. The program is also administered by the Federal Communications Commission.

The internet assistance program will end six months after the U.S Department of Health and Human Services declares the pandemic over, or when the $3.2 billion is gone, according to the release.

Providers must notify customers at least 30 days before the discount ends and are required to let consumers opt-in to continue service before charging them a higher rate.

Cooper has called on internet service providers in North Carolina to participate in the program so that more North Carolinians can afford to get online.

Interested customers can find a list of providers in the state on the FCC's website.

Regional Enterprise Reporter Kristen Johnson can be reached at kjohnson1@gannett.com or 910-486-3570.

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