New federal broadband program expands access for Texans. But it comes at a cost

The Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program will expire at the end of 2021. Next year, the program will be rebranded as the Affordable Connectivity Program and made available to more households — any household with an income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines will be eligible. But this will come at a cost, as the monthly discounts will be $30 instead of $50. Broadband experts and legislators have heralded the program as a monumental step in making high-speed internet more affordable, but recipients of the EBB Program in Texas are more split on the change. While some say the continued discounts will continue to allow them to get high-speed internet access, others are worried about the lower discounts. Jennifer Harris is the state program director for Connected Nation Texas, a nonprofit focusing on increasing broadband access and affordability. Harris said the biggest challenge that the EBB Program has faced — and will likely continue to the new program — is “letting eligible households know that the program exists.”