Partnership launches public awareness campaign to help close digital divide, targeting Ohioans who are eligible for new federal $50 a month discount for home internet service

June 14, 2021 — Heartland Forward, Governor Mike DeWine, BroadbandOhio and RemotEDx Connectivity Champions (powered by the Management Council), and the Ohio Library Council unveiled a public awareness partnership to help connect Ohioans to affordable internet through the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. The program utilizes federal COVID-19 relief funding to provide eligible households discounts of up to $50 a month on home internet service, making the service more affordable and accessible for qualifying low-income families. The program also offers a $100 discount towards the purchase of a laptop, computer or tablet from a participating provider.

Currently, more than 1.4 million Ohioans don’t have internet service, and 29 percent of Ohio K-12 students don’t have adequate access. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how widespread and detrimental inequities in internet access are, as those without reliable internet service struggled to participate in school, gain access to health care and do their jobs remotely. A new study out last week from Pew Research Center revealed approximately one-third of lower-income broadband users nationwide have struggled to pay for their service during the pandemic.

The EBB program is intended to reduce these disparities by ensuring households can afford to get online. The $3.2 billion federal program is temporary and will conclude when funds run out or six months after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declares an end to the pandemic.

To ensure qualifying Ohioans know about the program, Heartland Forward is launching a public awareness campaign including paid media and coordinated community outreach through state agencies and local organizations.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how critical broadband is for Ohioans to stay connected. While the Ohio Broadband Strategy is implemented, we must continue looking for opportunities to increase Ohioans’ access to broadband,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “The Federal Emergency Broadband benefit can help make high-speed internet affordable for Ohio families.”

“Our mission at BroadbandOhio continues to be to enhance and expand broadband access to families who lack service across Ohio,” said Lt. Governor Jon Husted and director of InnovateOhio. “Increasingly, there is no way to participate in the modern economy, education or healthcare systems without broadband, and the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefits program provides a great opportunity for Ohioans to access affordable and reliable high-speed internet.”

“While the federal government is making a major investment to close the internet affordability gap in the wake of the pandemic, it will take a robust and coordinated effort to reach eligible families, so they know about this opportunity to get connected,” said Angie Cooper, chief program officer for Heartland Forward. “We are eager to contribute to the success of the Emergency Broadband Benefit in Ohio in the near-term and help make the case for a long-term affordability solution in our country.”

“I’m proud that the FCC is partnering with over 13,000 individuals and organizations to raise awareness about the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. Efforts like this awareness campaign from the State of Ohio and Heartland Forward are critical to the success of this program and ensuring eligible residents know about this opportunity to get connected,” said FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “Too many families in Ohio and around the country have struggled to keep up without an internet connection. Now help is available through the Emergency Broadband Benefit.”

A household is eligible for the program if one member of the household meets at least one of the following criteria:

• has an income that is at or below 135 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid or the FCC’s Lifeline program;
• approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch or breakfast program;
• received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
• experienced a substantial loss of income through job loss or furlough since Feb. 29, 2020; or
• meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income or COVID-19 program.

Those eligible can enroll in the program in several different ways. If they do not have access to the internet, they can sign up through a participating broadband provider or by calling (833) 511-0311 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. any day of the week to request a mail-in application and more information about the program. If they do have access to the internet, they can apply online at getemergencybroadband.org. Additional information about the EBB is also available at www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit. Ohioans needing assistance with the application process can also call the RemotEDx Connectivity Champions at (844) K12-OHIO or visit https://www.ohio-k12.help/remotedx/connectivity-champions/.

“The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is a crucial part of our efforts to ensure all Ohioans have access to affordable, accessible internet service,” said Peter Voderberg, chief of BroadbandOhio. “We hope our joint efforts with Heartland Forward will help Ohioans learn about the program and encourage anyone eligible to take advantage of this opportunity for quality internet service at a discount.”

Heartland Forward is promoting EBB Program awareness in Ohio as part of its three-year Connecting the Heartland initiative focused on ensuring families and businesses across America’s heartland have access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet service. Through its collaboration with BroadbandOhio and partner agencies, information will be available to eligible households at schools, libraries, healthcare facilities and employment service centers throughout the state. In addition, awareness materials will be shared with community organizations that serve individuals and families who qualify for the program.

“Now more than ever, connecting to the internet is imperative for Ohio’s K-12 students to succeed,” said Geoff Andrews, chief executive officer of the Management Council. “The RemotEDx Connectivity Champions are committed to ensuring that students and their families receive the support they need to reliably enable remote learning. By making the internet affordable through the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, we can continue efforts to ensure high-speed internet is available to our students.”

“The pandemic has underscored the digital divide, but Ohio’s public libraries recognized the need for broadband connectivity long before the pandemic started,” said Michelle Francis, executive director of the Ohio Library Council. “We know that a significant number of Ohioans still lack access to this basic utility, and our public libraries are a core community asset that Ohio citizens utilize to access high-speed internet. We are happy to be a partner in helping promote the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit program to help get information to Ohioans about the process to apply for the discount.”