Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

Rural Connect, LLC has elected to be an Internet Service Provider as part of the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program.  The EBB Program is part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 enacted by Congress in Dec. 2020.   Congress provided funds for any eligible Household to receive a subsidy of up to $50 per month paid directly to a provider of internet service.    Amounts over $50 are the responsibility of the recipient of internet service to pay directly to the provider of internet service.    This program will last until funds run out or until six months after the CDC declared that the COVID 19 emergency is no longer in existence.

To find out if you qualify visit https://GetEmergencyBroadband.org.   There you can enter your information into the National Verifier which will verify your eligibility.   Rural Connect cannot provide EBB subsidized internet until you are verified.   For your convenience, our customer service representatives can assist you in your application if you visit our office in person and we can familiarize you with our service offerings.   If you do that, please bring with you items that will verify your address, identification, household income and employment/unemployment.  

It is not required to be receiving the following but may be helpful to the verification process if a household is receiving any of the following;

Program Eligibility

Consumers may be eligible for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program if they meet income eligibility requirements or participate in a qualifying program below:

·         Lifeline program or Approved Service Provider Low-Income or COVID-19 Relief Program

o    Participants in the Lifeline program do not need to submit a new application to participate in the EBB Program

o    Service providers can seek FCC approval to qualify all participants in their existing low-income or COVID-19 relief program

·         Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

o    Look up state-specific information on this list of SNAP program names by state.

·         Medicaid

o    Look for your state on the list of Medicaid program names by state.

·         Free and Reduced Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program

o    Students approved to participate in the free and reduced price school lunch program or school breakfast program in the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year

o    Students enrolled at a school that participates in the USDA Community Eligibility Provision

·         Pell Grant

o    Students who were awarded a federal Pell Grant in the current award year

·         Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

·         Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)

o    To find contact information for a local Public Housing Agency, please visit the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s state contact and agency listing.

·         Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit

·         Experienced substantial documented loss of income since February 29, 2020 with a total household income in 2020 below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers,