How to Get Free Internet Service

Low income Americans may be able to get free internet service through a variety of programs. Whether you’re looking for free internet service with food stamps or a free hotspot you can take home, we’ve found programs that can help you.

We know that paying $80 or more toward your monthly internet bill can be a real budget-buster when you’re living on a tight budget. We’ve been there. We’ve lived it. And we’ve found help!

In this post, we will review all of the free government internet service programs, free hotspot programs, and discounted internet services that you may be eligible for.

What Happened to Free Internet with Food Stamps?

Over the last several years, low income Americans have enjoyed free internet service with food stamps and other government benefits through the Affordable Care Program (ACP) subsidy. This program provided a $30 subsidy payment directly to your internet company. Many providers rolled out plans that were $30 or less per month, meaning that those services were essentially provided for free to low income families who qualified.

However, Congress did not extend funding for this program so it has ended. The White House announced the formal end for this program on May 31, 2024. However, there is some good news.

Many internet service providers (ISPs) have agreed to offer discounted internet plans to low income customers through at least the end of 2024. Some of these discounts may last much longer.

The following providers have pledged to offer high speed internet for $30 a month through at least the end of 2024. These plans have no data caps or fees.

• Allo Fiber: Their Community Connect program continues low-cost internet for former ACP beneficiaries.
• Altafiber and Hawaiian Telecom: These companies offer the Fioptics Internet Assistance Program. It gives high-speed internet for $30/month for a year. But, you need Lifeline/ACP eligibility to get it.
• Astound Broadband: Plans from $9.95/month for eligible low-income customers. Current customers can switch to the discounted plan but new customers get 3 months free!
• Mediacom: Xtream Connect for $28.99/month plus taxes and fees, offering speeds up to 100 Mbps.
• Starry: Starry Connect is just $15/month for 30 Mbps speeds.

Of course, companies like AT&T, Comcast, Cox, Optimum and Verizon have offered low income internet discounts for years. You can get the details on those in the Low Income Internet Discounts section below.

Some of the companies listed in the White House press release are smaller companies that have not published details of their discounted plans. These companies include IdeatTek, MLGC, and Vermont Telephone Company.

The good news is that the Low Income Relief team has been tracking free and low cost internet programs since 2016, long before the ACP program began. There are many tried-and-true ways that you can save money and get help with your internet service, even without those vital ACP benefits.

Free Home Internet Programs

Let’s start with the free home internet programs. There are a few ways that you can get free home internet service, whether you have food stamps or not. These services are pivotal in helping low income people all across America stay connected.

The bad news, of course, is that these programs tend to be somewhat limited. They are only available in certain areas or to certain groups of people. Don’t lose hope, though! If you don’t qualify for one of these free programs, you may qualify for one of the discounted home internet services we will discuss below.

Free Internet from T-Mobile’s Project 10Million

T-Mobile has partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to provide free home internet access to low income students. The plan provides 100GB of free internet each year for five years. The hotspot will be shipped to you for free and there are no fees, costs or re-certifications required.

The catch? That free internet allotment is 100GB per year. That may sound like a lot, but you can easily consume that much watching 200 hours of standard-definition video. It’s approximately 1,200 hours of browsing the internet or equal to streaming around 20,000 songs.

In order to qualify, you must participate in a qualifying government program and have a student in your household. The qualifying programs include SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, Head Start, foster programs and more. You do not need to be a T-Mobile customer to qualify.

You can apply for Project 10Million online. The application is simple and straightforward.

Free Hotspot

Many libraries around the United States offer free hotspot internet services that you can check out and take home. You can usually borrow these hot spots for several weeks. In some areas, you can keep them through the entire school year! It just depends on your local library’s offerings and policies.

Our team has been diligently researching libraries all across the United States because they offer so many vital services. In addition to a free hotspot, many libraries also offer free streaming services, free museum passes and sometimes even free music lessons. It’s truly incredible. Discover everything your library can do in our Secret Library Perks Guide.

Free Gigabit Internet for Public Housing

If you live in a participating affordable or public housing complex, you may be able to get free Gigabit Internet service from Google Fiber. This program is only availalabe for customers who live in specific properties that have been selected for participation in this program, though.

If you are eligible, you can get 1GB upload and download speeds for free, with no contracts, no construction fees and no installation fees. You can find sign up instructions on the Google Support page.

Free Home Internet from Your Local School

If you have a K-12 student living in your house, you may be able to get free home internet service from your local school. Since the internet is such a vital tool for schoolwork, there are hundreds of schools across the United States that have helped their students stay connected.

Many of these schools suspended their free internet programs when the ACP program became available. Now that the ACP program has ended, it is likely that we will see these school-sponsored internet programs resume.

Free Neighborhood WiFi

In an effort to close the digital divide in certain communities, local governments around the United States have decided to provide stable, high-quality internet connections in low income neighborhoods.

For example, the NoMa area in Washington DC provides free public WiFi services across 32 blocks. This internet service is available for free to anyone within range.

Other neighborhoods have also been rolling out free neighborhood WiFi programs to help support local residents who need help connecting to the internet. We’ll update this list as we find more.

Low Income Internet Discounts

There are many low cost plans offered directly by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like Comcast and AT&T as well. These companies choose to offer discounted plans because they want to make their services more affordable for low income individuals and families.

Not all of these services are available in all areas and not all programs have the same eligibility criteria. We have done our best to outline the information below but some details may vary locally. You can always contact the organization directly to verify.

Access from AT&T starts at $5/month.

There are three different pricing tiers for Access from AT&T. The plan that is right for you will depend on where you live, what service is available in your area, and how fast you want your internet to be.

• For $5 per month, you can get speeds of up to 3 Mbps.
• For $10 per month, you can get speeds of up to 10 Mbps.
• For $30 per month, you can get unlimited data with speeds up to 100 Mbps.

During the ACP era, the $30 per month plan became the default for Access from AT&T. However, their website makes it clear that you can downgrade to the $10 per month plan if you don’t mind lower speeds and don’t need unlimited data.

You may be eligible for Access from AT&T if you meet these requirements:

• You must live in an area with AT&T service.
• You must have a household income that is 200% of the Federal Poverty Level or less AND/OR be participating in a qualifying program like SNAP or the National School Lunch Program.

If you qualify, you can apply for Access from AT&T online. You cannot apply at an AT&T store at this time.

Comcast Internet Essentials starts at $9.95/month.

Comcast Internet Essentials is one of the most reliable, longest-running low income internet programs in America. This service provides low cost internet service to customers who qualify.

You can choose between two different Internet Essentials plans:

• For $9.95, you can get speeds of up to 50 Mbps.
• For $29.95, you can get speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

You may be eligible for this service if you meet these requirements:

• You must live in an area where Comcast Xfinity service is available.
• You must qualify for an eligible government program, like SNAP (food stamps), National School Lunch Program or Medicaid.
• You must not have Xfinity Internet service already. You must not have had an active Xfinity Internet account in the last 90 days.
• You must not owe any recent debts to Comcast. Debts that are older than 12 months may be allowed.

If you qualify, you can apply for Comcast Internet Essentials online. If you prefer, you can also chat with an agent before you sign up.

Cox ConnectAssist starts at $9.95/month.

Cox Customers may be eligible for several different discount plans for low income customers.

• ConnectAssist is for individuals or families who participate in at least one government assistance program. This can include SNAP, Medicaid, Veterans Pension, SSI and more. This plan costs $30/month and includes download speeds of up to 100 Mbps.
• Connect2Compete is for low income families with children enrolled in school. If you have a K-12 kid in your household and you participate in at least one government program, you may be eligible for this plan. It costs just $9.95 per month and offers speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

You can choose one of these plans or get more details on the Cox website.

Spectrum Internet Assist starts at $19.99/month.

Spectrum Internet Assist is another low income internet service. This program tends to be more limited than the others. Our readers have also reported that Spectrum tends to nickel-and-dime their customers for extra services like WiFi as well.

The company does not offer price details for this plan until you enter your address. However, users on Reddit and other social media posts have recently reported that the price for a basic Spectrum Internet Assist plan is $19.99. You will be upcharged an additional $5 if you want WiFi to be included with your plan.

In order to be eligible for this internet discount, you must receive assistance from either the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

If you are eligible, you can start your application on the Spectrum website.

Mediacom Connect to Compete starts at $9.95/ month.

Mediacom Connect to Compete is a basic home internet service. Their no-frills service is very simple, with no deposits, contracts, installation fees, equipment rental fees or data limits. It’s very straightforward.

For $9.95 per month, you’ll be able to get download speeds of up to 25 Mbps.

In order to qualify, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must live in an area where Mediacom service is available.
• You must have at least one K-12 student who qualifies for free or reduced-price school meals living in your home.
• You must not be a current or recent Mediacom internet customer.
• You cannot have an outstanding debt to Mediacom.

If you qualify, you can call their company directly to apply. It does not appear that they allow online registrations at this time.

Cox Connect 2 Compete starts at $9.95 per month.

Cox also offers a Connect 2 Compete discount to their customers. This service is designed to help students in low income families stay connected to the internet.

For $9.95 per month, you’ll get download speeds of up to 100 Mbps. A WiFi modem is included in the cost.

In order to qualify for this discount, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must live in an area where Cox internet service is available.
• You must have at least one K-12 student in your home.
• Your family must receive government assistance from a program like SNAP (food stamps), TANF, LIHEAP, WIC, Head Start, Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, or the National School Lunch Program.

If you qualify, you can apply for the Cox Connect 2 Complete plan directly on their website. You will need to be able to provide proof of the government assistance you receive.

Optimum Advantage Internet starts at $14.99/month.

Optimum offers a discounted internet plan for low income customers as well. This program is called Optimum Advantage Internet. It includes free installation, free WiFi and no data caps.

For $14.99, you can receive speeds of up to 50 Mbps through this plan.

In order to qualify, you must meet ONE of the following criteria:

• You must have a child in your home that receives free or reduced price school meals; OR
• You must be 65 years or older and be eligible for SSI (whether or not you receive it); OR
• You must be a veteran who receives some form of state or federal public assistance; OR
• You must live in New York City and have a child attending a New York City public school

If you meet one of those criteria, you may be eligible for this service as long as you live in an area with Optimum service, do not owe Optimum any money and do not have a current or recent account.

If you are eligible, you will need to call Optimum directly to enroll. It does not appear that they accept online applications for this program.

Why is low income internet so important?

Statistically, low income households are less likely to have internet service or useful technology in their homes. That’s understandable because these things are typically very expensive! Unfortunately, it also traps these households in a low income cycle. It’s hard to increase your income when you can’t apply for jobs, take online courses or finish your homework!

That’s why these low income internet services are so critically important to American households. In 2017, Pew Research found that 30% of households with incomes less than $30,000 per year did not have a smartphone. They also found that two thirds of adults in high-earning households had home broadband internet, a smartphone, and either a desktop, laptop or tablet device. Only 17% of low income household had the same things.

A lack of sufficient internet access can make it more difficult to get a job, more difficult to get good grades and impossible to participate in online college classes. There are many benefits to having internet access in your home… and that’s why we’re dedicated to finding low income internet programs (and as many free internet programs as we can find) for our readers!

Relief Recap

There are many ways that low income customers can still get free internet, whether or not they get food stamps benefits. From free hotspots to steeply discounted home internet services, this post contains all the ways we’ve found that you can save money while staying connected. Contact the providers on this list for details!