If you need low income Internet services, then you need this list of free internet and low income internet services! 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! Keep reading below for details!
We’ve found FREE Internet programs!
Free internet would be fabulous, right? Although we’ve found a lot of low income internet programs, we’ve only found a few free ones. They’re usually very limited geographically.
Some libraries offer FREE mobile hotspots you can take home.
You may be able to literally check out the internet from your local library! We’ve found many libraries that offer this service. Some even let you keep the hot spot all school-year long! Check this list to see if your local library offers a take-home mobile hot spot for FREE Internet.
Some schools offer FREE internet services, too.
Schools in high-poverty areas like Clarskdale, Mississippi, may offer free internet to their students. Here’s how Clarksdale High School (Mississippi) students get FREE home Internet!
Some areas are introducing free internet for low income residents.
With an increasing need for stable, high-quality internet connections, some areas are branching out and providing low income access.
Marin County, California, just announced that they will be introducing Free Neighborhood WiFi. This program will provide two years of internet services for up to 300 low income households, with a focus on providing the internet to low income students.
Brookline, Massachusetts is served by Tech Buddies. This organization is helping low income seniors and disabled people receive free tablets and/or free internet service for one year!
We’ve found low income internet from Comcast, AT&T and more!
Fortunately, many major Internet providers already provide affordable Internet programs for low income customers. You can choose whether you’d like service through AT&T, CenturyLink, Comcast or other providers! Of course, not all services are available in all areas and not all programs have the same eligibility criteria. If you don’t qualify for one program, just check another!
2021 UPDATE: Get $50/month discount (and $100 off a device) with the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program! Details here.
Access by AT&T starts at $5 per month.
AT&T offers a great deal on low income internet access at home and in town. In addition to your home setup, you’ll also get access to all of AT&T’s hot spots. Speeds range from 768 KB to 10 MB, depending on what’s available in your area. Although it’s not exactly free internet, Access by AT&T is just $5-$10 per month!
Comcast Internet Essentials is $9.95/mo.
Of all of the programs I’ve found, Comcast Internet Essentials is my favorite. You’ll receive speeds of up to 50 Mbps with no installation fees, no credit checks and no long-term contracts. This program is available to low income families, veterans, seniors, college students and people with Section 8 housing vouchers. Comcast Internet Essentials is just $9.95 per month.
FEB 2021 UPDATE: Comcast has agreed to increase their download speeds to 50 Mbps and their upload speeds to 5 Mbps to better support remote learning! This change will roll out nationally on March 1st. This change will be offered to all new and existing Internet Essentials customers at no extra charge.
Charter Spectrum starts at $15/mo.
If you live in an area served by Charter Spectrum, then you’ll want to check out their low income internet deal. Are you interested in getting Charter Spectrum for just $15 per month?
Google Fiber starts at $15/mo.
The Google Fiber program isn’t as straightforward as most of the other low income internet programs we’ve discovered. Only certain homes in areas where there is a low density of internet users will qualify for this reduced rate. We’ve got the details in this post about how to get Google Fiber for just $15 per month.
There are other low income internet providers, too!
Although those providers are fairly well known nationwide, there are several smaller, more localized providers that also offer low income internet services.
Frontier Internet is $20/mo.
Frontier provides low income internet to 26 states, which is more than the remaining of the providers on this list. Unfortunately, their monthly price is also more than the rest of the providers on this list. Here’s what we know about getting Frontier Communications for just $20/month.
Mediacom Cable is $10/mo.
Mediacom serves 1,500 cities across 22 states. If you’d like to save money on Mediacom internet service, you’ll want to read what we learned about getting Mediacom for just $9.95 per month.
Cox Communications is $10/mo.
Cox Communications provides service in Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Virginia. If you’re low income in that area, check out this post about how to get Cox Communications for just $9.95.
Altice Internet Advantage is $10/mo.
If you’re interested in a discounted program for Altice, Suddenlink Internet or Optimum Internet service, then you’re looking for Altice Internet Advantage. It’s a great program for families and seniors. Altice Internet Advantage is just $9.95.
Eagle Communications is $10/mo.
Eagle Communications provides low income internet service in Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska. We’ve got all the details and an application so you can get Eagle Communications for just $9.95 per month.
Starlink Services intend to offer low income internet.
In a recent SpaceX filing, it was revealed that Starlink Services intends to join the Lifeline subsidy program. Their statement said: “Starlink Services currently has no Lifeline customers because only carriers designated as an ETC can participate in the Lifeline program,.” However, they also added that they “will provide Lifeline to qualifying low income consumers” when they can.
CenturyLink Internet Basics is NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
CenturyLink quietly ended their Internet Basics program in 2017. They chose not to announce the change and instead quietly scrubbed their website of any mention of the program. According to the customer service representative I spoke to, they have replaced Internet Basics with the pre-paid Simple Pay option.
According to the representative, Breiya E.:
SIMPLEPAY Internet is a month-to-month service which may be cancelled at any time and requires monthly pre-payment with a credit/debit card. Service will begin on the date your Service order completes. Each prepaid billing cycle is 30 days with service automatically renewing monthly until you cancel. Prepaid payments for unused service will not be refunded or credited to account.
POSTPAID Price for Life Internet can be bundled with DIRECTV and/or Price for Life Home Phone. There are no activation fees or contract. Services and equipment are NOT paid in advance. Keep your rate as long as you keep your plan at your current address.
When pressed about prices, Breiya responded, “It can range, depending on the speed of internet available at your residency with the lowest being $45 a month.”
This is NOT a low income option and NOT a viable alternative to the discounted Internet Basics program… so be careful if you contact CenturyLink!
Not interested in one of these providers? No problem!
You may be able to save $9.25 off your monthly Internet bill by applying for the Lifeline subsidy! This subsidy pays $9.25 directly to your internet provider, thereby reducing your bill. It’s important to realize that you can only get one Lifeline subsidy per household, so you’ll have to decide whether to use this as a free internet discount or to get a free cell phone.
You qualify for this subsidy if you receive any of the following!
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (aka SNAP, Food Stamps, EBT)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Medicaid
- Federal Public Housing Assistance
- Tribal-specific programs
- Income at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines
- Veterans Pensions
- Veteran’s Survivor Benefits
Please note that the broadband low income program has been under attack in the current political environment and has suffered some cut backs. The information isn’t always clear on the FCC site, but you’ll want to discuss this option with your ISP to see if it is available in your area and from your provider.
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!
Get MORE free (and really cheap) stuff! Click here!
Nicole Thelin
Have too much month at the end of your money? Me too - and that's how Low Income Relief got started. I have over 20 years of professional research and writing experience. Over the years, I've worked as a novelist, journalist, ghostwriter and content creator. My work has been featured in various print and online publications, including USA Today, eHow.com, Livestrong.com, Legal Beagle, The Daily Herald (Provo, Utah), The Chronicle (Centralia, WA) and others. At Low Income Relief, I use my professional research and reporting experience to help low income families save money and make ends meet. It's been my full-time job since 2016, and it's truly an honor to serve you.
Sonja
Monday 20th of December 2021
I always tell people about PCs for People. https://pcsrefurbished.com/sales/internetPackages
This is the information I know as of December 20, 2021.
Internet is $15 a month.
I think they are based out of Minnesota, but they are offer 4G Internet to low income people across the states. There’s a coverage map you can check, but they cover a lot. I live in rural Western Washington and I get excellent Internet reception.
The Internet is unlimited with no caps, and is never throttled. To qualify you must fall in one of two categories: 1) Proof of current enrollment in an income-based government assistance program OR 2) Documentation from a government source of current income under 200% of the federal poverty level (relative to household size). There are a lot of programs that would qualify people for this listed on their website.
The only cons are: you have to pay for the hotspot router they have. You only have to pay for it once. Think I paid $80 for mine. Even when you renew yearly, you only have to pay for the Internet. If you use a debit card to pay for the Internet and it is returned for insufficient funds, you can’t use the debit card with them ever again. So you have to send them a check or money order to pay.
The pros: once you’re approved, you can choose to either pay for Internet monthly, every three months, six months, or the whole year in advance. It’s a hotspot Internet, so if you leave the house you can take the hotspot with you and have Internet wherever you go as long as there’s coverage there. Customer service is really awesome. You actually get to talk to a live person in Minnesota when you call. They also sell inexpensive, refurbished laptops and desktops. They aren’t top-of-the-line - no hard-core gaming on them - but other than that they serve my purpose is pretty darn well.
I hope I explain things pretty clear. But if you’re not sure, check them out, they’re pretty awesome.
Tammy
Monday 20th of September 2021
I would really like to have as much information on free phones, free internet, free laptops and tablets for low income families
Isaac
Monday 29th of November 2021
Low Income Relief is an information service and does not provide cash or items directly. You will need to search our website for information about organizations that can help you meet those needs. Sorry! I hope this helps
Darlene Baughman
Wednesday 14th of July 2021
I live in a low income housing and have for the last 17 yrs. For the past almost year I have been paying Century Link too much money for wi-fi. I will not be able to keep paying $65.11 every month. I am living on a low fixed income. I do not use my computer much, mostly my cell phone.
Hannah Benge
Friday 16th of July 2021
We hope that some of these options work for you! -Hannah
Shannon B
Monday 1st of March 2021
I was a spectrum customer for almost 20 years and was told by nine different representatives even in the store, that I qualified for Internet assist even though I am not over 65. I am on disability housing and food stamps etc. I told them all that I do not qualify because I do not meet the criteria. They all insisted that I do and told me to disconnect my Internet for 30 days and call back and apply and I would receive it. I did and of course did not have Internet for 30 days because even though I live in the middle of my town I do not get any other Internet which makes no sense. I came in after the 30 days to get my Internet is this the end was called and told no I do not qualify!! Surprise! Surprise! I told them I was lied to and turned my internet back on and the “supervisor” I talked to said they would waive my installation fee, in which they never did and never left notes. That’s another thing about spectrum,the representatives never leave notes on your account. I have spoke to numerous supervisors all of them telling me they would credit my account the installation fee and other credits and to this day I haven’t had anything taken care of. I have spectrum mobile and I’m supposed to get a $20 reduction in my Internet bill and I don’t. They put the spectrum mobile on another account by itself. I have no clue what to do anymore. I was also told the installation fee and SIM card Fee would be waived as well and that of course was not. If anybody knows anything I can help me with this situation please help!
GetInternet
Wednesday 7th of October 2020
Great article! This is very helpful for those who need basic internet access without shelling a lot of bucks on high speed subscriptions. The internet has become a part of our daily lives and internet access is essential in education and work. Availability of these low priced subscriptions might vary highly depending on your provider's coverage, and be sure to read between the lines for data caps and throttling.