ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A federal program that helped people pay their internet bills is now running out of time.

It’s a program that dates back to 2021. Unless something changes quickly in Congress, it’s over in a few weeks. But how much warning did people get, and who’s impacted the most? 

Lawmakers approved $14 billion worth of assistance to eligible families during the pandemic, but efforts to add another $7 billion failed this year. 

200,000 households in New Mexico have taken advantage. So, KOB 4 spoke with the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion. They said that’s only about half the number that could have qualified. 

Many people told the office that they just found out in January it was ending and have been trying to figure out what to do now. 

“A lot of customers were actually not paying anything. A typical internet bill they were seeing for a basic package was about $30 a month. So, they really only paid a couple dollars in taxes and things like that. So, families are scrambling to find a more affordable plan at this point,” said Alison Riley with the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion. 

Some people got an even bigger discount, and that was certainly the case here in New Mexico. That’s because those on tribal lands and others in some rural areas qualified for an even bigger discount. They will be feeling the impact if the program does expire soon. 

“We had almost 200,000 households enrolled in this, and it especially benefitted those on tribal lands and rural areas. They were actually getting $75 off a month instead of $30. So this greatly impacts them,” said Riley.

The FCC said last year that about 20 million households nationwide had benefitted from the program.  

The Biden administration has been calling on lawmakers to extend it, but not much movement yet.