Emergency program to give people $50 off internet bill

UNDATED (AP)- Americans can begin applying for $50 off their internet bill on Wednesday as part of an emergency government program to keep people connected during the pandemic. The $3.2 billion program was part of the $900 billion December pandemic-relief package. It’s unclear how long the money will last, although it’s expected to be several months. Tens of millions of people are eligible. The government is increasing spending on broadband as the pandemic made stark that millions of Americans did not have access to and could not afford broadband at a time when jobs, school and health care was moving online.