A federal program to help people pay their internet bills is now in its final month. The program dates back to 2021.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A federal program to help people pay their internet bills is now running out of time.
This is a plan that goes back to 2021. Unless Congress makes changes quickly, it could be over in a few weeks. But how much warning did people receive, and who was most affected?
Lawmakers approved $14 billion worth of aid to qualifying households during the pandemic, but an effort to add $7 billion more this year failed.
200,000 households in New Mexico have benefited. So KOB 4 spoke with the Office of Broadband Access and Extension. They say that’s only about half of those eligible.
Many people told the office they only found out in January that it was ending and have been trying to figure out what to do now.
“A lot of customers aren’t actually paying anything. A typical internet bill they’re seeing for a basic plan is about $30 a month. So, they’re really only paying a couple dollars in taxes and things like that. So right now households are scrambling to find more affordable plans,” said Alison Riley with the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion.
Some people get bigger discounts, as was the case in New Mexico. That’s because those living on tribal lands and some other rural areas qualify for larger discounts. If the program expires soon, they will feel the impact.
“We have nearly 200,000 households enrolled in this program, and it’s particularly beneficial to families on tribal lands and in rural areas. They actually get $75 a month instead of $30. So it impacts them a lot. ,” Riley said.
The FCC said last year that about 20 million households nationwide have benefited from the program.
The Biden administration has been calling on lawmakers to extend the deadline, but not much has been done yet.