Broadband Bailout

[dad911]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Just to play devils advocate there are also a number of public buildings like libraries that have free internet access.

But you need an ID to drive there, and a library card. That's discrimination, isn't it?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by dad911

But you need an ID to drive there, and a library card. That's discrimination, isn't it?

Good point, I stand corrected. Libraries are racist.

[mattdavis11]

I believe it necessary to educate. Broadband has made it too soft.

[GH85Carrera]

I went to 11 different schools in my lifetime. Not one had internet. Heck they did not have air conditioning either. I guess it is impossible that I received and education and learned anything.

[JackDidley]

Originally Posted by hbueno

Is this what the tbread is about? https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit

Broadband is not cable TV altbough it's usually part of the bundle

I dumoed cable a few years ago but kept broadband. Working from home would be impossible without it. These days, internet access is a necessity, not a luxury.

Wow, I think I qualify. Not going for it though. Just would not feel right. Besisdes, I like my $118 monthly internet/cable package.

[hbueno]

Originally Posted by dad911

Cool. Our "Household" is eligible.

I'm doing this all wrong. I'm going to shut down the business and search out 'free cheese' instead of working.

Are you willing to share which of fhe criteria your household qualifies for?

I doubt the discount offered by the program would encourage somebody in a low income household to stop working.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by hbueno

Are you willing to share which of fhe criteria your household qualifies for?

I doubt the discount offered by the program would encourage somebody in a low income household to stop working.

A household is eligible if a member of the household meets one of the criteria below:

A member of household is a dependent relative or non-relative that resides in a taxpayer's domicile. For tax purposes, dependent members of household can trigger eligibility for certain tax credits and deductions.

I believe our son that moved back home during covid likely triggers eligibility. If not, booked a trump-style RE loss last year that may also do it.

[hbueno]

Originally Posted by dad911

A household is eligible if a member of the household meets one of the criteria below:


I believe our son that moved back home during covid likely triggers eligibility. If not, booked a trump-style RE loss last year that may also do it.

These are the requirements for qualification:

Your household qualifies for the Emergency Broadband Benefit if it has an income at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines OR any member of the household:

Qualifies for Lifeline benefits through participation in SNAP, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, Federal Public Housing Assistance, or Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit;
Participates in one of several Tribal specific programs: Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal Head Start (only households meeting the relevant income qualifying standard), Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF), Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations;
Experienced a substantial loss of income since February 29, 2020 with a total household income in 2020 at or below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers;
Received a federal Pell Grant in the current award year;
Received approval for benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision, in the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year; or
Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income or COVID-19 program, and that provider received FCC approval for its eligibility verification process.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by hbueno

Working from home would be impossible without it. These days, internet access is a necessity, not a luxury.

Agreed. This is akin to a very scaled down version of rural electrification of the '30s that helped bring rural America into the 20th century.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I went to 11 different schools in my lifetime. Not one had internet. Heck they did not have air conditioning either. I guess it is impossible that I received and education and learned anything.

Times are different.

When I went to school, calculators were mostly not allowed in my various math classes. In the few cases where calculators were allowed, they absolutely could NOT be graphing calculators. When my kids went to school they were REQUIRED to have graphing calculators.

Many years ago, probably 21, I was interviewing a guy that was trying to get a job at "Western Digital" the hard disk manufacturer. At one point, we asked him how he would deal with stress if the Internet connectivity for the corporate HQ was down and/or there was no email and the execs were breathing down his neck. His response was something like "10 years ago, they didn't have Internet or email and they managed to do business."

Just because things were different in the past, doesn't mean that we suddenly want to have the world without cars or mass transport or indoor plumbing or electricity.

Surely you don't want to go back to carving stone tablets or writing in clay the way you did when you were young.

[rusnak]

Is internet and CATV a luxury? I thought so when I boycotted all of that and stopped watching TV altogether.

Fast forward 7-8 years and now I have high speed fiber with a managed switch from ATT and CATV at work, and cable at home because the GF loves her shows that I can't stand except the ones about gardening and remodeling homes. My elevator requires a land line, so I have land lines at the business. All togher I think I'm getting ass-raped to the tune of around $1,500 per month not including all of the mobile phones. We are doomed as a society.

[mattdavis11]

Originally Posted by hbueno

These are the requirements for qualification:

Your household qualifies for the Emergency Broadband Benefit if it has an income at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines OR any member of the household: Received a federal Pell Grant in the current award year;

I qualify. Such BS. He doesn't pay the bill, I do.