Emergency Broadband Benefit still has $2.7 billion out of $3.2 billion available

According to the Federal Communications Commission, of the nearly $3.2 billion in available funds for the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program only $378 million has been allocated so far. That leaves more than $2.7 billion still available to help low-income households get broadband service at a reduced cost, according to the FCC tracker page. Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said that the program has 5.5 million households signed up, but the FCC wants to get the word out to many, many more people and seems to be challenged to do so.

The FCC is trying to get the word out about the EBB program by working with partners including more than 1,000 fixed and mobile broadband providers, community groups such as boys and girls clubs, YMCAs, food banks and libraries. The agency has also held more than 300 events with groups around the country to promote the program and worked to make the EBB program “mobile friendly,” which makes a lot of sense considering that it’s trying to reach people who potentially don’t even have a computer. Rosenworcel said if she had one criticism of the EBB legislation, it’s that there was no funding to help a lot of nonprofit and local organizations around the country to spread the word about the program.