Montgomery Executive Elrich, U.S. Rep. Trone and Corporate Partners to Detail How County is Using $22.6 Million in Digital Equity Grants to Provide Free Computers and Monthly Broadband Subsidies to Low-Income Families on Thursday, Nov. 3, in Germantown

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich will be joined by U.S. Rep. David Trone, County Councilmember Craig Rice, Maryland Office of Statewide Broadband Director Kendrick Gordon and industry partners at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 3, to detail how Montgomery Connects is using a portion of the County’s $22.6 million in digital equity grants.  At the event at Upcounty Regional Services Office in Germantown, they will provide details on how the County is using the grants to provide free computers for low-income residents and how it is seeking to increase enrollment in a program that could provide $45 monthly subsidies for broadband access.

The Upcounty Regional Services Office is located at 12900 Middlebrook Rd. in Germantown.

People are highly motivated to participate in program offering a free one-time $400 computer, but much less motivated in enrolling in a monthly broadband subsidy program that take 45 minutes to an hour to sign up. However, enrollment in the broadband subsidy program could save them an on-going $540 per year.

The County has used digital equity grants to so far distribute more than 28,000 computers to low-income households. Of those recipients, 84 percent are in households earning less than $50,000 per year, 75 percent are Black or Latino and 65 percent are Blacks or Latinos living in households earning less than $50,000 per year.

The Montgomery Connects webpage offering information about free computers has received almost 600,000 visits in the past six months. The Montgomery Connects webpage offering information about the ACP Broadband Subsidy has received just under 15,000 visits in the past 18 months.  

The State of Maryland is going to be purchasing an additional $30 million in computers to distribute one per household eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), but funding is not yet available from the Federal or Maryland programs to provide support to enroll in the ACP broadband benefit program. At Thursday’s event, it will be demonstrated that both the Maryland and Federal governments could get more people enrolled in the $45 broadband subsidy program if offered grants to support ACP enrollment in conjunction with grants to purchase computers. 

Congressman Trone supported the legislation that provided $22.4 million of the $22.6 million in digital equity grants received by Montgomery County. The highest participation in the computer programs have been in the Germantown and Gaithersburg areas.

Here are additional facts about the Montgomery Connects computer program distribution and ACP broadband subsidy participation:

• Grants and County Households Without Computers. Montgomery County recently received $22.6 million in digital equity grants. This included $20 million to purchase and distribute 50,000 computers for low-income residents through the Federal Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) and the Maryland Emergency Education Relief (MEER) program. Sixty percent Montgomery County households without computers are households earning less than $50,000 per year and 43 percent are Black and Latino households.
• Distribution of Computer Statistics. Montgomery County has been using the digital equity grants to distribute more than 28,000 computers to low-income households. Among the recipients, 84 percent are in households earning less than $50,000 per year, 75 percent of recipients are Black or Latino and 65 percent are Blacks or Latinos living in households earning less than $50,000 per year.
• Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) $45/Month Broadband Subsidy. The Federal government and the Maryland government provide a combined $45 per month broadband subsidy for eligible low-income households through ACP. Families are eligible if they are enrolled in benefit program, such as SNAP food benefits, Free and Reduced Meals at school, Medicaid, WIC, SSI, Veterans or Survivor’s Benefits, Pell Grants for college students or earn less than 200 percent of the Federal poverty rate ($25,760 per year for one person, $34,840 for two, $43,920 for three, $53,000 for four and $9,080 for every additional person).
• Montgomery County Households Without Home Broadband. More than 58,000 households in Montgomery County are without home broadband and more than 28,000 earn less than $50,000 per year. Of these County households without broadband, 41 percent are Black and Latino, 41 percent are White and 21 percent are Asian and other races. The first phase of the ACP broadband subsidy enrollment is focused on saving money for low-income families already subscribing to broadband or not subscribing because of cost. The second unfunded phase will be focused on encouraging people reluctant to the internet to get connected.
• Montgomery County Eligibility and Participation in SNAP. Montgomery County estimates almost 25,000 households are eligible for ACP, but are not enrolled. Almost 37,000 Montgomery County families are enrolled in the SNAP food benefit programs and would all be eligible for ACP broadband subsidies. ACP reports that more than 12,000 County households are enrolled in ACP, but no data is available to determine whether these households are current broadband subscribers or part of households without broadband. 
• Free Computer Recipients are Missing Out on Millions in Annual Broadband Savings. The County estimates computer recipients are missing on saving between $1 million and $1.5 million per year. Among Montgomery Connects computer recipients, 65 percent subscribe to home or mobile broadband and are enrolled in a benefit program that makes them eligible for ACP broadband subsidy, but 69 percent are not enrolled in ACP broadband benefit and are missing out on saving $540 annually on broadband. 
• Montgomery Connects Is Working to Leverage Free Computer Programs to Assist Eligible Families to Enroll in ACP Broadband Subsidies. In July 2022, Montgomery County began adding support to enroll families ACP at Montgomery Connects events in partnership with Comcast, Verizon, and T-Mobile representatives. Approximately 20 families per event, or four to five per hour, are enrolled at each event.  Of these families, 17 percent did not have broadband service and 83 percent are existing customers now receiving benefits. The County’s efforts will save these families more than $250,000 per year.  

ACP is a three-step process and it is understood that it can be cumbersome for low-income families. Applicants to receive free home or mobile broadband through the ACP program must have an email address. They would use their email address and a password to create an ACP account. They would sign into their ACP account and submit information regarding enrollment in a qualifying benefit program to receive an application ID number. They would then contact their broadband service provide to have the ACP discount applied to their account. The first two steps take 10-15 minutes. The third step may take 30 to 40 minutes to get the ACP subsidy applied.  Of 12,000 families enrolled in ACP, only 8,000 are receiving the discount on their broadband bill. Some families may sign up for ACP and then decide not to request it.  Others give up after long waits with the provider.   

WHAT: Computer distribution and enrollment in broadband subsidies for low-income residents and opportunity to interview residents receiving free computers and enrolling in broadband subsidy programs.

WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 3. 11 a.m.

WHERE: Montgomery County Upcounty Regional Services Office, 12900 Middlebrook Rd., Germantown.

WHO:

• Marc Elrich, Montgomery County Executive
• David Trone, U.S. Congressman
• Craig Rice, Montgomery County Councilmember
• Kendrick Gordon, director, Maryland Office of Statewide Broadband (OSB)
• Ronnie Hammond, program manager, Digital Equity & Inclusion, OSB
• Representatives of WorkSource Montgomery
• Greg Wims, director, Upcounty Regional Services Center
• Representatives of Upcounty Hub
• Representatives of Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center

ASSIGNMENT EDITORS NOTE: Media members will be able to interview people receiving benefits and services funded by the digital equity grant awards. There will be people receiving computers, getting assistance enrolling in broadband subsidy programs and receiving help setting up their computers.  Comcast, Verizon and T-Mobile representatives will be assisting residents in getting broadband subsidies applied to accounts.

#  #  #

Media Contact: Barry Hudson 240-300-7348