On Wednesday, May 5, 2021, Gov. David Ige announced a new federal program that aims to assist thousands of qualifying households across the state to pay for their internet service. Under the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), eligible households can receive up to $50 a month to pay for broadband service. Qualifying lessees on Hawaiian Home Lands may apply for an enhanced benefit of up to $75 per month. The program is limited to one monthly service discount per household. Eligible households may also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 toward the purchase of a laptop, desktop computer or tablet from participating Hawai‘i internet service providers if the household contributes a minimum of $10 towards the purchase price. The program is funded through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, passed by Congress in December 2020 – which established the Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund and allocated $3.2 billion for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.