Program offers discounts for high-speed internet in Inyo

Less than 10% of eligible county population enrolled

Families struggling with the steep cost of Internet service – access to which has become a basic need for work, school, healthcare, and more – may be eligible for discounts on their monthly bills.

The federally funded Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) can help eligible households reduce their monthly bills by as much as $30 ($75 for households on qualifying tribal lands).

These households are also eligible for a one-time $100 discount when buying a laptop or tablet from participating providers.

According to the ACP website, more than 3,000 Inyo County households are eligible for the program – however, only about 10% of the eligible population is currently enrolled.

Regional Broadband Coordinator Scott Armstrong encourages households to take advantage of the program is they qualify.

The ACP eligibility and application process has been streamlined to make it easy for qualifying households to start saving on their monthly Internet bills as soon as possible.

Eligible households include those earning $60,000 per year or less (for a family of four), and households with at least one member enrolled in the following assistance programs:

• Lifeline

• Free or Reduced School Lunch, CEP Schools

• CalFresh or Snap

• Medi-Cal or Supplemental Security Income

• Pell Grant

• WIC (Women, Infants & Children)

• Federal Public Housing Assistance

• Veterans Pension and Survivor Benefit

Households on tribal lands with at least one member enrolled in any of the following Support Services for Indigenous Communities are also eligible:

• Tribal Programs for Residents on Qualifying Tribal Lands

• Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance

• Tribal TANF

• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

• Tribal Head Start (must meet relevant income qualifying standard)

Families can sign up online at https://www. internetforallnow.org/ or by calling (866) 745-2805.