Hundreds of thousands of Coloradans qualify for a $50 broadband internet credit. So why aren’t they seizing it?

A $50 credit on monthly internet service could mean the difference between having broadband and not having internet at all. But from the looks of federal data, there hasn’t been much interest in claiming the money made available by the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program. The program launched in May 2021 and provides low-income consumers up to $50 off their monthly broadband bill (or $75 for those living on Tribal lands). But five months after it launched, EBB serves just over 63,000 households in Colorado, a fraction of those who qualify. Everyone on Medicaid is eligible and that’s 1.5 million people in Colorado. “The current number of EBB enrolled households is 63,019, which is 13.4 percent participation. Compared to other states, that percentage is in the lower middle range,” said state Chief Information Officer Tony Neal-Graves. “We are currently evaluating our outreach strategy.” The $3.2 billion national program, funded by a federal COVID relief package, has made changes to simplify the enrollment process for users and internet providers. But there’s been a minimal amount spent on marketing to get the word out. About 6 million US households had enrolled nationwide as of October 4. According to the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, that represents just 16 percent of the eligible US population, meaning $2.5 billion is still available.