Important News: Congress recently created the Affordable Connectivity Program, a new, long-term $14 billion program that will replace the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. Households enrolled in the EBB Program as of December 31, 2021, continued to receive their current monthly benefit during a 60-day transition period. The transition period ended on February 28.

Consumers can apply for the Affordable Connectivity Program at AffordableConnectivity.gov.


The Broadband Infrastructure Office at the North Carolina Department of Information Technology has launched a new Economic Broadband Benefit Program webpage with program guidance information and an informational flyer that can be printed and posted at your establishment. Now we are asking for your help.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program provides households with a discount of up to $50 a month off of a household’s internet bill. That increases to $75 a month for those living on tribal lands. Eligible households can also get a one-time discount of $100 toward the purchase of a laptop, tablet or desktop computer through participating providers.

The program’s enrollment begins on May 12 for qualifying households. A household qualifies if the household’s income is at or less than 135 percent of federal poverty guidelines. A household can also qualify if at least one member:

  • Participates in a federal benefits program, such as Medicaid, SNAP, or Lifeline
  • Receives benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program,
  • Lost a job or a significant amount of income in the past year,
  • Received a Federal Pell Grant, or
  • Is part of an internet service provider’s low-income or COVID-19 program.

North Carolina Counties are valuable partners to the Broadband Infrastructure Office and provide a great opportunity to reach out to the important stakeholders who need this information the most. So, we are asking you to help spread the word to your community and encourage their participation.

If your organization is interested in helping spread the word about the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program and educating citizens about the program and how to participate, the Broadband Infrastructure Office has developed a new Economic Broadband Benefit Program webpage with guidance information and an informational flyer that can be printed and posted at your establishment. We also encourage you to visit the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program’s Consumer Outreach Toolkit where the FCC and USAC have created a Toolkit overview and Guide with supporting educational materials to make it easier for organizations use for educating their stakeholders.

If you have other specific materials that you need to support your outreach and education efforts, please let the Broadband Infrastructure Office know by emailing us at broadband@nc.gov.

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