New Policy Brief on Lessons from the Emergency Broadband Benefit

ARNIC published a policy brief today on the impact of the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) subsidy on its target beneficiaries. Key findings include a relatively modest impact in bringing unconnected households online, limited impact in rural and less populated areas, a partisan connectivity divide, and lower participation among households with undocumented members.

The primary impact of the EBB program was to alleviate the cost burden for households that were already connected pre-pandemic, with only modest impact in bringing new households online. To enhance the impact of the new Affordable Connectivity Program subsidy, outreach efforts must be strengthened and targeted through participating providers, safety net service agencies and organizations with strong local community ties.