The federal government’s internet discount is slow to reach residents. These community leaders are offering a connection

Only an estimated one in seven eligible households have enrolled in the Federal Communications Commission's Emergency Broadband Benefit Program so far. The majority of those who have received the benefit were grandfathered in through Lifeline, an existing federal subsidy program aimed primarily at telephone users. Accessibility, language barriers, and documentation requirements have beset a number of potential applicants. Most people are unaware that the Emergency Broadband Benefit exists at all. Preliminary ZIP code-level analyses from the Benton Institute of Broadband and Society show that Philadelphia has enrolled more people than Chicago, even though Chicago has over 1 million more residents. Baltimore has enrolled more people than Phoenix and Houston, both of which dwarf Baltimore in population. Baltimore, for instance, has consistently ranked among the country’s “Worst Connected Cities” — 40% of households lack wireline internet access, per an Abell Foundation report — so it follows that a high population of residents might enroll. In Philadelphia, community leaders have organized to boost enrollment.