Ardmore Telephone Company raises awareness about emergency broadband benefit program

Published 7:23 pm Wednesday, May 12, 2021

The Ardmore Telephone Company announced Wednesday it is working to help build consumer awareness about the Emergency Broadband Benefit, a new Federal Communications Commission program. The temporary benefit will help to lower the cost of broadband service for eligible households during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to Ardmore Telephone Company. 

The $3.2 billion Emergency Broadband Benefit program provides a discount of up to a $50 per month toward broadband service for eligible households. 

A household is eligible if one member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:  

• Has an income that is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines or participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid or the FCC’s Lifeline program;

• Approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision, in the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year;

• Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;

• Experienced a substantial loss of income through job loss or furlough since Feb. 29, 2020, and the household had a total income in 2020 at or below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers; or

• Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income or COVID-19 program.

Emergency Broadband Benefit enrollment began today, May 12.

To find out if you qualify for this benefit, visit www.GetEmergencyBroadband.org, or call 833-511-0311 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. any day of the week. Once you receive your approval, call the Ardmore Telephone Company at 800-830-9946. 

This program will be available until the fund is expended or six months after the COVID-19 health emergency ends.