Emergency Broadband Benefit
The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program that provides a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills for qualifying low-income households. If your household is eligible, you can receive:
Up to a $50/month discount on your broadband service and associated equipment rentals
A one-time discount of up to $100 for tablet (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)
Only one monthly service discount and one device discount is allowed per household.
The FCC has announced that consumers can begin applying for and enrolling in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program on May 12, 2021. The program will end when the fund runs out of money, or six months after the Department of Health and Human Services declares an end to the COVID-19 health emergency, whichever is sooner.
A household is a group of people who live together and share income and expenses (even if they are not related to each other). Only one EBB credit is available per household.
Air Advantage must verify your household is eligible for the EBB program using USAC’s National Verifier tool. This is required for us to enroll you in the EBB program. This is the same tool you may have used to verifier your eligibility from GetEmergencyBroadband.org.
Information required:
Legal Name
Date of Birth
Last 4 of your Social Security Number OR a scanned copy of your Driver’s License, Military ID, Taxpayer Identification Number, or other Government ID.
Home Address
Which programs or income qualify your household for EBB (Free or Reduced Price School Lunch/Breakfast, SNAP, SSI, Medicaid, FPHA, Federal Pell Grant, etc.)
No. The EBB Program benefit is non-transferable. You cannot give your benefit to another person, even if they
qualify for the EBB Program
The Emergency Broadband Benefit program will be open to eligible households on 5/12/2021. Visit GetEmergencyBroadband.org to get qualified.
Your monthly bill will reflect your EBB discount up to $50/mo displayed as a credit applied after your other eligible discounts. Any remaining balance due, including taxes and fees, will be reflected on your monthly bill. Payment can be made as usual.
At the end of the program, you will either continue on your plan at the price without the EBB discount or you will end your internet-related services with Air Advantage. We will give you an opportunity to decide this at the beginning of your enrollment into the EBB program and again before the end of the program.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you do not affirmatively choose to keep your Internet-related services, the FCC requires that we disconnect those services at the end of the EBB program.
No, only one Emergency Broadband Benefit is available per household.
Yes. The EBB program discount can be transferred to another provider at any time.
The program is temporary. It does not have a set expiration, but will end once the program runs out of funding, or six months after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, whichever occurs first. The FCC is expected to notify carriers and the public at least 60 days before the final service month of EBB discounts.
An individual is eligible if one member of the household:
Is a participant in one of the qualifying Lifeline programs: Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, FPHA, Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit;
Is a resident on a Tribal reservation and participates in one of the following programs: Bureau of Indian Affairs general assistance; Tribally administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF); Head Start (only those households meeting its income qualifying standard); or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
Has applied for and been approved to participate in the National School Lunch Program: receives benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision
Has gross household income at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines
Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year
Experienced a substantial loss of income since February 29, 2020, and the household had a total income in 2020 below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers. This includes those who are unemployed or experienced unemployment in 2020 and/or were furloughed.
The Emergency Broadband Benefit program provides a credit for Air Advantage monthly home internet services, including:
Air Advantage Non-LTE Basic, Gold, Premium Service
Air Advantage LTE Service (5Mbps, 10Mbps, 15Mbps, 20Mbps)
Air Advantage Fiber to the Home Service (Advantage 25, Advantage 50, Advantage 100)
This government funded program is only eligible for broadband plans offered on December 1, 2020. New plans offered after December 1, 2020 are not eligible. You an change your plan to an eligible plan if desired. Contact our office for more details.
If you are not currently enrolled in the Lifeline program you will need to apply for EBB with USAC at GetEmergencyBroadband.org. After USAC determines you are eligible, call Air Advantage to enroll in the EBB program.
Households who are currently enrolled in the Lifeline program do not need to apply for EBB should call Air Advantage to be enrolled.
Sign up to become eligible for EBB
Eligible individuals who are not currently enrolled in the Lifeline program will need to apply for EBB with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) at GetEmergencyBroadband.org
After USAC validates eligibility:
Call Air Advantage at 989-652-9500 to enroll in the EBB program
Households who are currently enrolled in the Lifeline program:
Call Air Advantage at 989-652-9500 to enroll in the EBB program
After Air Advantage has verified eligibility, you’ll be enrolled in the EBB program
The FCC does not pay EBB funds directly to program participants
Air Advantage will apply the EBB credit to your monthly bill
EBB program participation
You must use the service monthly to maintain EBB enrollment
You will receive the EBB credit until the program ends as long as you maintain a qualifying internet service
You may transfer your EBB credit to another provider at any time. However, you may not transfer your monthly discount to another customer.
At the end of the program you will be subject to our undiscounted rates and terms and conditions if you continue to receive Air Advantage’s service