Friend,

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Free Press Action and our allies have fought hard to make sure high-speed internet is accessible and affordable to all. Thanks to our efforts, the December COVID-relief package included a history-making investment in broadband affordability.

One of the outcomes of that investment is the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program, which just launched last month and will provide $3.2 billion to help struggling families pay for high-speed internet — a major victory that will go a long way in the fight to close the digital divide.

Since you’re a committed Free Press Action activist, we wanted to make sure you know that your support was critical to passing the EBB — and to providing millions of people in the United States who have been struggling during the pandemic as much as $75 a month to offset the steep cost of high-speed internet. Are you or someone you know having a hard time covering the cost of your monthly bills? Go to ebbhelp.org to learn more about the program and how to qualify.

We also wanted to give you an update on all of the other ways our movement has been keeping up the momentum for universal, affordable high-speed internet for all:

• We’re pushing Congress to use the infrastructure package to make high-speed internet more affordable. Last week, President Biden announced that he and a bipartisan group of senators have reached a deal on the long-awaited infrastructure package, and we’re fighting to make sure it does all of the great things that the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act does. Stay tuned for more from us on this in the coming days.
• We published a report on the impact of internet companies’ sky-high prices. An estimated 77 million people in the United States lack adequate home internet¹ — which makes it harder for people to connect to school, work and health care, and to stay informed in a rapidly changing world.
• We’re fighting to change how the FCC classifies high-speed internet access — which would make it more affordable for everyone and reverse dangerous Trump-era changes that revoked the agency’s ability to protect our privacy online.
• And we’re keeping the pressure on the White House and Congress to appoint a fifth FCC commissioner, a move that must happen before the FCC can do much of anything to restore Net Neutrality, close the digital divide and address other pressing issues. Please join us in demanding a fully functioning FCC today.

Your support of Free Press Action is what fuels our movement. If you can, please consider making a donation today in support of our work to provide everyone with access to affordable, high-speed internet.

Thank you for fighting alongside us for our safety, our health and our democracy.

In solidarity,

Heather and the rest of the Free Press Action team
freepress.net

 1. “Matt Wood Testifies Before Congress in Support of Affordable Broadband During the COVID Crisis and Beyond,” Free Press Action, Feb. 17, 2021