Free broadband service is available to many Californians. Here’s how to apply

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted just how important it is to have a broadband internet connection at home — for remote school or work, virtual doctor’s exams and meetings and many other pursuits. But broadband can be costly, so the federal government offered new subsidies to help low-income households afford a high-speed line and a device with which to use it. Dozens of internet service providers all across California have signed up for the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program, which covers up to $50 of the monthly cost of an internet connection (or up to $75 on Tribal lands). The EBB also authorizes a one-time $100 discount on a computer or other device. According to Sunne Wright McPeak, Chief Executive of the California Emerging Technology Fund, the bulk of the Californians who have signed up appear to be people who already had broadband through the internet service providers’ discount programs for low-income residents — not people with no access to the internet. The problem, McPeak said, is that eligible Californians don’t know about the program, “and nobody is telling them.” John Horrigan, a senior fellow at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, said a new survey of low-and lower-moderate-income households found that only 25 percent had heard of the EBB. One reason, he said, is that the government provided no funding to publicize the program and reach out to prospective users. If you would like a broadband connection but can’t afford one, this is a guide on how to apply for the EBB.