Statement on the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program:
Citizens Fiber is happy to announce that we are participating in the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. The EBB program provides a monthly discount up to $50.00 per eligible household on broadband internet services. The program started on May 12, 2021. Each household is limited to one (1) singular monthly discount.
The program is scheduled to end six months after department of Health and Human Services declares an end to the pandemic, or whenever the program runs out of funds. We will be able to provide notice about when the program is ending, though that notice may be short if the funds run out prior to the 6 months’ timetable.
At Citizens Fiber, we offer our broadband service at $49.99 a month. Make sure to check below to see if you are eligible to take advantage of this program.
Eligibility
A household is eligible if one member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:
- Qualifies for the Lifeline program.
- Receives benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision, or did so in the 2019-2020 school year.
- Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year.
- Experienced a substantial loss of income since February 29, 2020, and the household had a total income in 2020 below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers; or
- Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating providers’ existing low-income or COVID-19 program.
How do I apply for this program?
The application for this program is done through a separate party. For information on how to apply you can visit https://getemergencybroadband.org/how-to-apply/. To go directly to the application, go to https://www.checklifeline.org/lifeline/?id=nv_flow&ebbp=true. Once you have an approval, you can then get in touch with us to get your service setup. If you do not have the ability to access these websites, contact us at 724-423-4444 and we will work to get an application mailed to you to fill out.
Does this apply to a bundle?
Yes. The discount can be used to cover the broadband part of your bundle. It would not cover things like television costs. You are only credited for what your bundle costs. Meaning if you’re bundle is less than $50.00, you don’t receive extra credit.
Can this apply to equipment?
Yes. The monthly discount can be used to cover routers, modems, hotspot devices, and antennas, if offered as monthly rental costs in addition to your broadband service cost.
If you have any other questions you can visit:
https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit
https://www.fcc.gov/consumer-faq-emergency-broadband-benefit
You can also check your eligibility here: https://www.getemergencybroadband.org/do-i-qualify/
Also, it is important to note that, you may have eligibility due to a COVID-19 complication, whether that be job loss or another hardship.