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

Ricardo Medrano doesn’t know if he’ll be able to afford internet access next year.

For several months, Medrano, 65, has relied on a federal program that provided $50 monthly broadband discounts to eligible households. His internet bill is only 3 cents, he said.

The discount has been a lifeline for Medrano. He has underlying health conditions, and that along with his age makes him at increased risk of contracting a severe case of COVID-19. Before the discount, he didn’t have internet access, so he couldn’t see a doctor online.

“It’s helped a lot of people out,” said Medrano, who lives in Austin.

The $50 discount is about to end. It is a part of a federal program — the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program — that will expire at the end of this year. Recipients will continue receiving the discount for the first 60 days of 2022.

Next year, the program will be rebranded and available to more households — any household with an income at or below 200% 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. A Federal Communications Commission document said the new program “is expected to provide support for years.”

The new program was part of the infrastructure law that President Joe Biden signed last month.

“I’m really proud that we were able to sort of build above the emergency broadband program and make it more permanent,” said Rep. Marc Veasey, a Democrat from Fort Worth who helped launch the emergency program.

But recipients of the emergency program in Texas are more split on the new program. While some say the continued discounts will continue to allow them to get high-speed internet access, others such as Medrano are worried about the lower discounts.

Medrano says whether he will enroll in the new program depends on how much his Social Security benefits will go up. Social Security benefits will go up by 5.9% next month — Medrano wants to receive the increased funds before making a decision on broadband.

“If Social Security doesn’t go up to where I can afford that, then I won’t be able to do it,” Medrano said.

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Connie Gonzalez also doesn’t know how much longer she’ll have high-speed internet access.

For the past few months, the single mother of two from Dallas has relied on the emergency broadband program.

The discounts have been essential for Gonzalez and her children. Without 24/7 access to the internet during most of the pandemic, her kids struggled in school. Her son fell behind in math, while her daughter struggled with reading.

“The pandemic definitely made it difficult,” Gonzalez said.

And with the $50 discount about to end, that could be the difference between Gonzalez having internet access or not.

“Thirty dollars is a big help, but I’m barely able to do the $50 discount,” Gonzalez said. “And I can’t imagine it being less than that because I don’t know how I’d be able to afford that.”

But for some recipients of the emergency program in Texas, the new program will continue to help.

Annie Beasley is a retired high school teacher living in Lufkin now working as an administrative assistant. For at least six months during the pandemic, Beasley did not have internet because of the high costs, she said.

Having the emergency program has been “very beneficial,” she said. She can pay bills, do research online and reach out to family members and businesses easier.

With the new program beginning next year, Beasley said any assistance “is still a blessing.”

“I think it would be a blessing if we were to be able to extend it and continue so that people can receive the help that they need,” she said. “Whether it’s $30 or $50, it’s appreciated.”

Casey Pratto is also confident he can afford the new program.

The Austin resident also did not have internet access before signing up for the emergency program — it allowed him to order things online and talk to family members.

This has made life easier for Pratto, who thought he was going to die from the virus after contracting it at the start of the pandemic. Since he has heart failure, diabetes and lung issues, he thought the virus would be “a death sentence.”

“It really put life into perspective,” he said.

Today, Pratto says the helpfulness of broadband means he will be able to afford it.

“It’s so beneficial to me in my day to day life,” Pratto said. “’l’ll be able to afford it, it’s only a $20 difference.”

Help for the broadband program?

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 emergency program has faced — and will likely continue to the new program — is “letting eligible households know that the program exists.”

The infrastructure law sets aside $14 billion for the new program and $65 billion total for broadband infrastructure.

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a nonpartisan group that seeks to increase broadband nationwide. The group estimated earlier this year that about 36 million households are eligible for the emergency program. As of Dec. 12, just over 8.5 million households had signed up for the program nationwide.

In Texas, about 603,000 people have enrolled in the program. Based on 2019 data, around 2.6 million Texans would be eligible.

The infrastructure law allocates funding for grants to organizations that help with outreach for the program.

“That’s very, very important. But to see the full success of this program, we’ve got to be a lot more vocal, and share it with a lot more people,” Harris said.

Recipients of the emergency program also say more outreach is needed.

Gonzalez found out about the program from a local organization that runs a food pantry, she said. She enrolled in the program in September, she said, four months after the program officially began.

“I know other people, friends and family that could have also taken advantage of that program had they known,” she said.

Harris said broadband assistance often focuses on infrastructure issues rather than affordability. Making the rebranded program more widely known will be key to its success, she said.

“We know that broadband can change lives,” Harris said. “And we want to make sure that it is there to change everyone’s life for the better.”