$3.2 Billion for the FCC to Give Qualifying Americans $50 off Internet Bill

By B.N. Frank

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been catering to telecom and cable industries for decades (see 1, 2). In fact, during the Trump administration, the agency sided with industries to oppose Net Neutrality.

Lawsuits have been filed against the FCC for NOT protecting the public from unsafe levels of cell phone and WiFi radiation, unwanted and unsafe 5G installation on Earth (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) and in space as well as for allowing Americans to be overcharged for services many still haven’t received (see also 1, 2, 3).

Nevertheless, $3.2 billion from the COVID relief package has been allocated to the FCC to distribute for broadband assistance. How do you like them apples?

From Associated Press:

Emergency program to give people $50 off internet bill

Americans can begin applying for $50 off their monthly internet bill on Wednesday as part of an emergency government program to keep people connected during the pandemic.

The $3.2 billion program is part of the $900 billion December pandemic-relief package. The government is increasing spending on broadband as the pandemic made stark that millions of Americans did not have access to, and could not afford, broadband at a time when jobs, school and health care was moving online.

It’s unclear how long the money will last but it’s expected to be several months. Tens of millions of people are eligible, although the Federal Communications Commission, which is administering the program, did not specify a number.

For example, your household is eligible if you receive food stamps, have a child in the free or reduced-price school lunch program, use Medicaid, or lost income during the pandemic and made $99,000 for single filers, or $198,000 for joint filers, or less.

There are other eligibility requirements, too — see https://getemergencybroadband.org to find out if you qualify.

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Telecom expert, Bruce Kushnick has written several articles about why the Department of Justice and State Attorneys need to take action to break up Big Telecom and Big Cable (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Americans obviously can’t count on the FCC to protect them.