Internet Providers to Offer Discount for Poor, Says White House

Click here for the report.

Source: Associated Press via HuffPost

Biden, Harris Deliver Remarks on Administration Plan for Affordable High-Speed Internet

This report was broadcast on May 9.

Source: PBS NewsHour

Note: Prior to the White House announcement, From The G-Man conducted an exclusive investigation on the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program, which was later named the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The report revealed that once the application for the Emergency Broadband Benefit had been submitted and approved, the $50 benefit would not be credited to the customer’s account for two billing cycles.

Additionally, the customer was responsible for paying the service charges incurred during the first two billing cycles, $49.99 per month, and a late fee of nearly $9.00 would be tacked on if a payment was not made by the specified date. In the end, a person on a fixed income or with limited financial resources would incur a $170.00 debt before the monthly $50 benefit was applied to the account. This included the $49.99 charge to have the tech visit the home and install the equipment. Additional charges, such as activation fees, would also be applied.

After the report was published, it was shared with the White House via its Twitter account. It was also shared with a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) official, who immediately submitted a response.