CNSNEXT PARTICIPATES IN EMERGENCY BROADBAND BENEFIT PROGRAM
Recently, Congress appropriated $3.2 billion to the Federal Communications Commission to help low-income households pay for broadband service. The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBBP) will provide a discount of up to $50 per month for broadband services for eligible customers. The EBBP is a temporary program that will expire when funds are exhausted or six months after the Department of Health and Human Services declares the end of the COVID-19 health emergency.
“CNSNext is proud to participate in the EBBP and provide our eligible customers with some much-needed assistance,” said Don Atkinson, CEO of CNSNext. “The federally funded EBBP gives our qualifying customers the opportunity to receive discounted or, in some cases, even no-cost access to important Internet service.”
The program will provide up to a $50 per month credit for broadband services. “This means that qualifying customers who register for the program with internet packages that are less than $50 a month will receive their service for no charge for the length of the program,” said Atkinson. “Qualifying customers with broadband packages that are priced greater than $50 each month would only pay for the balance remaining for their monthly service after the $50 credit is applied.”
Households can qualify for the EBBP in several ways, all of which will require proof of income. “There is a little paperwork required on the applicant’s behalf in order to qualify,” said Atkinson. “Customers who are interested in the program should visit GetEmergencyBroadband.org to see if they qualify. We also have a team of dedicated customer service representatives ready to help guide applicants through the application process. These team members will be able to help determine a household’s eligibility, direct them to the enrollment websites, and make sure all necessary steps are followed in order to qualify for the program.”
Household eligibility for CNSNext customers will be based on the FCC’s existing Lifeline National Eligibility Verifier. “The National Verifier will be used to help determine an applicant’s eligibility for the benefit by collecting applicant information and cross-checking it with other qualifying programs and/or by income,” said Atkinson. “We’re here to help facilitate this process and make it as simple as possible for the customer.”
The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program opens to CNSNext applicants on May 24th. Customers who are interested in taking advantage of the EBBP should visit GetEmergencyBroadband.org to begin the application process. Beginning May 24th, the CNSNext toll-free hotline will be available to call at 888-565-9759. The hotline will be in operation Monday through Friday from 8 AM-5 PM. The EBBP is available to all CNSNext residential broadband customers who meet the program’s eligibility requirements.