Most internet service providers aren't participating in new federal discount program for low-income people

The Federal Communications Commission's new Emergency Broadband Benefit offers a discount for low-income residents, but many rural folks' internet providers aren't participating in the program. 

EBB gives people in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, or certain other benefit programs "a $50 discount on their monthly internet bill, or $75 if they reside on tribal lands," but fewer than half of the nation's internet providers are participating, Adilia Watson reports for The Daily Yonder.

"According to BroadbandNow, a company that finds and compares internet providers, there are 2,782 internet service providers in America," Watson reports. "Only about 1,100 are participating in the EBB program, according to an FCC spokesperson. An FCC Fixed Broadband Development map allows users to find providers all the way down to a town or city level."

Manistee County (Wikipedia map)

Watson focuses on the lack of participation by internet service providers in Manistee County, Michigan, which got $13 million in federal funds in 2019 to help those providers improve and expand local broadband service, according to the Manistee County Advocate.

Another possible issue: The program has no minimum speed requirement for broadband providers, so the government could end up subsidizing sub-par internet. The FCC defines broadband speed as 25 megabytes per second download and 3 Mbps upload.