A new federal program to help low-income consumers pay their internet bills will start taking applications May 12. The Emergency Broadband Benefit program was part of the COVID relief legislation passed in December. Those who qualify will receive a discount on their monthly internet bill and money toward a new computer.

Yosef Getachew, media and democracy program director with the consumer group Common Cause, said that individuals automatically qualify if they’re in a government program like SNAP or Medicaid. One can also qualify if their income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty line, or if their income took a substantial hit from a job loss.

But there’s a catch, according to Gigi Sohn, distinguished fellow at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law and Policy. “This is temporary,” she said. “I think it’s important to note that the digital divide doesn’t go away when the pandemic does and it’s important to have a permanent program.”

Congress allocated about $3 billion for the Emergency Broadband Benefit. The program ends when the money’s gone, or six months after the federal government declares the pandemic is over.

More at NPR Marketplace.