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FCC Program Offers Discounts On Broadband Service, Computers

AP Photo/Jim Mone

A new Federal Communications Commission program is offering consumers discounts on broadband connection and computers.      

The FCC's Emergency Broadband Benefit program is designed to help those who may be struggling to afford internet service during the pandemic.

According to a news release, eligible households can get a discount of up to $50 per month toward broadband service. Households on tribal lands could receive up to $75 off per month.

The program also offers a one-time discount of up to $100 toward the purchase of a computer or tablet. 

Eligibility criteria for benefits include income, current enrollment in other assistance programs, or loss of income due to job loss or furlough.

Households can either apply online, where they can see a list of participating providers in North Carolina, or by calling for a mail-in application.  

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing.

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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