Editor's Note: This story comes from CableTV.com.
How can you get low-income internet?
Your income bracket doesn’t have to limit your internet access. If your home needs a boost to cross the digital divide, take advantage of low-income internet options in your area.
The Lifeline program can save you $9.25 to $29.25 monthly.
You can combine these programs like Lifeline with internet provider initiatives that start at $9.95 monthly for 100 Mbps download speeds.
Read on to learn more about how to get free internet service and other affordable internet plans.
Do you qualify for low-income internet?
Each of the low-income options we’ll discuss has different standards to qualify.
But you’re a good candidate for most if your household makes less than or equal to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines or you already qualify for one or more government assistance programs:
- National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
- Public Housing (HUD)
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- And more
Where to start with low-income internet
There are multiple options for affordable internet services.
The best low-income internet option used to be the new Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which offered qualifying households up to $30 per month off internet service (and up to $75 per month if you live on tribal lands).
Unfortunately, Congress halted this program’s funding, and signups ceased as of Feb. 7, 2024. Funding for the ACP ran out in May 2024, and the government internet program is currently inactive.
Due to the ACP ending, we recommend looking into two low-cost internet solutions that have been around a bit longer: Lifeline or individual internet provider initiatives.
Low-cost internet through Lifeline and internet providers
The first option is a government assistance program called Lifeline, which offers $9.25 per month off either internet or phone services to low-income households. Lifeline offers less savings than the ACP or most internet provider initiatives, but it’s better than nothing.
Second, there are a variety of internet provider initiatives with discounted monthly rates. ISPs like Xfinity and Spectrum have low-income internet programs with rates as low as $9.95 per month. Many are for low-income families with kids who qualify for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), but the qualifications vary by provider.
At first glance, ISP low-income plans are a stellar deal, but not all homes qualify. Find out if you meet the requirements before you decide which option to go with.
Lifeline and ISP low-income initiative comparison
Here are the providers with the price of the cheapest regular plan with Lifeline and the price of the low-income initiative:
- Xfinity: $15.74/month — $9.95/month
- Spectrum: $40.75/month — $25.00/month
- Optimum: $20.74/month — $14.99/month
- AT&T: $25.75/month — $10.00/month
- Google Fiber: $60.75/month — N/A
- Astound Broadband powered by RCN: $10.74/month — $9.95/month
- CenturyLink: $40.75/month — N/A
- Cox: $10.74/month — $9.95/month
- Frontier: $28.74/month — $19.99/month
- Mediacom: $10.74/month — $9.95/month
- Verizon Fios: $19.99/month — $0.00-$49.99/month
- Windstream: $30.74/month — N/A
Cheap Wi-Fi for low-income homes
Many ISPs offer low-income internet plans. These plans range from around $10 to $30 per month (although Verizon Fios could be up to $50) and typically offer around 50 to 100 Mbps download speeds.
Each provider has their own qualifications that must be met, so be sure to read on to find out which plan best suits your needs.
Internet Essentials from Comcast (also known as Xfinity) accepts the widest range of government programs to qualify for low-income internet.
Internet Essentials from Comcast (Xfinity)
- Price: $9.95/month
- Speed: 50 Mbps
- Qualifying programs: Federal Pell Grant, HUD, LIHEAP, Medicaid, NSLP/Head Start, SNAP, SSI, TANF, tribal assistance, VA pension, WIC
If you live in an Xfinity area, you have access to the low-income program Internet Essentials from Comcast. Eligible households get 50 Mbps download speeds with free in-home Wi-Fi for $9.95 per month (plus tax).
You’ll also have access to Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots and get the option to purchase a low-cost computer.
To qualify for Internet Essentials, someone in your household must participate in one of the following programs: NSLP, HUD, veteran government assistance, senior government assistance, or Pell Grant.
Access from AT&T
- Price: $30.00/month
- Speed: Up to 100 Mbps
- Qualifying programs: SNAP, SSI, National School Lunch Program
Access from AT&T offers up to 100 Mbps download speeds for $30.00 per month.
You can qualify for Access from AT&T with SNAP, SSI, or the National School Lunch Program. Also, AT&T accepts households within as much as 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.
There’s a helpful chart on the application website if you’re not sure whether you qualify.
Spectrum Internet Assist
- Price: $25.00/month
- Speed: Up to 50 Mbps
- Qualifying programs: NSLP, SSI
While Spectrum’s low-income internet program** is higher priced than most others on our list, it’s also one of the few that offers aid to homes without K–12 children. It brings a lot more to the table too.
Spectrum Internet Assist is solid, offering broadband speeds of 50 Mbps and a free internet modem with additional Wi-Fi service for $5 per month (internet providers normally charge $10 per month for Wi-Fi routers). To top it off, you won’t have to worry about data caps or contracts.
So if one or more of the people in your household are recipients of Supplemental Security Income, NSLP, or Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the NSLP, you can fill out the Spectrum Internet Assist application.
**No contract required. Available in select areas only.
Astound Broadband’s Internet First
- Price: $9.95/month
- Speed: Up to 50 Mbps
- Qualifying programs: Federal Pell Grant, HUD, LIHEAP, NSLP, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, TANF, tribal assistance, unemployment, VA pension, WIC
Astound Broadband, which is powered by RCN, Wave, and Grande, offers Internet First for families and students in low-income households.
If your household takes part in Internet First’s long list of qualifying public assistance programs, you can get internet access for only $9.95 a month — and your first 60 days are free.
Go to the Internet First website to apply for service.
Optimum Advantage Internet
- Price: $14.99/month
- Speed: Up to 50 Mbps
- Qualifying programs: NSLP, SSI
Optimum offers their Optimum Advantage Internet plan, where eligible customers can get up to 50 Mbps internet speeds plus free installation, a free router, and no data caps for $14.99 per month.
To be eligible for the Optimum Advantage Internet plan, you or someone in your household must qualify or participate in NSLP, veteran government assistance, senior government assistance, or are a New York City resident attending a New York City public school. Click here to apply.
Verizon
- Price: $0.00-$49.99/month
- Speed: Up to 200 Mbps-940/880 Mbps
- Qualifying programs: Lifeline
Rather than creating a new internet plan like many other companies, Verizon boosts the discount you’d normally get from the government-sponsored Lifeline Discount Program.
Lifeline, which we discuss in more detail later, offers $9.25 off internet service each month. Verizon’s added discount brings that down even further, making its starting plan completely free.
Verizon’s deal offers the fastest speeds on our list. With speeds this fast, you can easily hold video calls while other family members are on the internet, which is a great help if you’re working from home.
Cox Connect2Compete
- Price: $9.95/month
- Speed: Up to 100 Mbps
- Qualifying programs: HUD, NSLP, SNAP, TANF
*Home must have a student in K-12 to qualify.
Mediacom Connect-2-Compete*
- Price: $9.95/month
- Speed: Up to 25 Mbps
- Qualifying programs: NSLP
*Home must have a student in K-12 to qualify.
Frontier Fundamental Internet
- Price: $19.99/month
- Speed: N/A
- Qualifying programs: CalFresh, Medi-Cal, SSI
Cox ConnectAssist
- Price: $30.00/month
- Speed: Up to 100 Mbps
- Qualifying programs: Certain public housing, certain tribal programs, federal Pell Grant, Head Start, LIHEAP, SNAP, SSI, TANF, VA pension, WIC
Free internet for low-income families and households
Many low-income internet programs focus on connecting students to valuable online resources, so they require that you have a school-age child at home.
If you don’t have any school-age children, there are other ways to qualify for low-income internet service.
Anyone with Supplemental Security Income (SSI) can qualify for Spectrum Internet Assist and Internet Essentials from Comcast.
Free internet for K-12 students
There are more internet-saving options available if you have kids at home and participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or Public Housing (HUD).
Free internet for college students
If you’re a college student, look into free public Wi-Fi hotspots and internet services with free intro periods. Read our article “Cheap and Free Internet for Students” for an in-depth look at these options.
And if you’re a community college student in Colorado or Illinois, you may be able to get Internet Essentials from Comcast with documentation from your financial aid office.
Free internet for senior citizens
If you qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you can get affordable internet with Access from AT&T, Optimum Advantage Internet, Spectrum Internet Assist, Verizon, and Internet Essentials from Comcast.
Lifeline FCC internet subsidy for free government internet service
Lifeline is a government-sponsored program from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It works directly with internet providers to create lower monthly rates for folks who are near or below the federal poverty guidelines, take part in federal assistance programs, or live on tribal lands.
If your household income is less than or equal to 135% of the federal poverty guidelines or you participate in federal assistance programs, you can get a $9.25 per month discount on internet or phone service. Check Lifeline’s qualification page for more details.
And if you live on tribal lands, you can save even more per month, bringing you to a total of $34.25 off internet.
If you live with other people but don’t share money, you can also take advantage of Lifeline multiple times on your internet subscription.
The people you live with also need to qualify based on poverty guidelines or federal assistance programs, but as long as they aren’t considered part of your household by Lifeline rules, you can stack up the discounts for every person who qualifies.
Wondering what the Lifeline discount looks like with different providers? Let’s take a look.
Lifeline internet discounts on the cheapest internet packages
Here’s a breakdown of providers with introductory price, introductory price with Lifeline assistance, and cheapest package speed.
- Xfinity: $24.99/month — $15.74/month — 75 Mbps
- Spectrum: $50.00/month — $40.75/month — 300 Mbps
- AT&T: $55.00/month — $25.75/month — 100 Mbps
- CenturyLink: $50.00/month — $40.75/month — 100 Mbps
- Cox: $29.99/month — $10.74/month — 25 Mbps
- Frontier: $44.99/month; $28.74/month — 25 Mbps
- Mediacom: $19.99/month; $10.74/month — 100 Mbps
- Optimum: $29.99/month — $20.74/month — 100 Mbps
- Verizon Fios: $49.99/month (with auto-pay) — $19.99/month — 200 Mbps
- Windstream: $39.99/month — $30.74/month — 50-400 Mbps
You might have noticed the final prices after Lifeline assistance are higher than those from ISP low-income programs. But don’t write Lifeline off — it’s a big help when providers in your area don’t offer their own initiatives.
Lifeline makes internet accessible across the country, so it’s always an option if you qualify.
If you’ve decided the Lifeline program is for you, you can apply online, by mail, or through a local internet company. You can find all the details on the Lifeline website.
Get free or cheap internet today
The internet access plays a huge role in our daily life — from news to education to keeping in touch with your loved ones.
With help from the Affordable Connectivity Program, ISP initiatives, and the Lifeline program, we can all stay connected.
Take advantage of these programs to get high-speed internet service at a price that works for your family.
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