Broadband News

The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program that provides a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills for qualifying low-income households.

At least 380,000 homes in rural Michigan do not have access to broadband. Existing depictions of Internet coverage used by the federal government to allocate infrastructure investments are overstated and inaccurate.

Merit Network, Inc. joined 217 other public interest, government, industry, civil rights, rural advocacy, and academic groups – alongside schools and libraries – in a letter urging Congress to support access to affordable broadband internet in forthcoming COVID-19 stimulus packages.

At a time when the state’s K-12 students are displaced from school buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 300,000 lack internet access or a computer at home, according to a partial survey by Michigan school officials.

More than 380,000 Michigan households with K-12 students lack access to broadband internet.