Online classes. Working remotely. Online job applications and bill paying. High-speed internet access is as critical to the modern world as electricity, but it can also be hard to afford. But there’s good news for people who have struggled to pay for internet access at home.
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As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, eligible households can now get $30 per month off their internet bills through the Affordable Connectivity Program. In addition, 20 leading internet providers have agreed to offer ACP-eligible households a high-speed internet plan for no more than $30 per month. That means that eligible families who combine their ACP benefit with one of these plans can receive high-speed internet for free.
How do I know if I qualify?
You are eligible if you meet any one of these three qualifications:
- Your income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines (see chart).
- You or someone in your household participates in one of these other programs:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps
- Medicaid
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
- Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
- Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, including at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision schools
- Federal Pell Grant (received in the current award year)
- Lifeline
- Certain Tribal assistance programs, including Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Head Start (only households meeting the income qualifying standard), Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF), and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
- You meet the eligibility criteria for a participating broadband provider’s existing low-income internet program.
How do I sign up?
If you meet the qualifications above, the next step is to claim your ACP benefit. You can do it online or print out an application and send it by mail.
Once your ACP application is approved, contact a participating internet service provider to choose a plan and apply your benefit to that plan. More information on how to apply can be found at acpbenefit.org/how-to-apply/ or by calling 877-384-2575.
What companies offer internet for $30 per month or less?
These internet service providers offer a high-speed internet plan for $30 per month or less. If you apply your ACP benefit to one of these plans, you will have no out-of-pocket cost for internet.
- Allo Communications
- AltaFiber (and Hawaiian Telecom)
- Astound
- AT&T
- Breezeline
- Comporium
- Cox Communications
- Frontier
- IdeaTek
- Jackson Energy Authority
- MLGC
- Optimum
- Spectrum (Charter Communications)
- Starry
- Verizon (Fios only)
- Vermont Telephone Company
- Vexus Fiber
- Wow! Internet, Cable and TV
- Xfinity
You can also use this search tool to find all the providers that are participating in the ACP.
Is there financial help available for buying a tablet or computer?
ACP-eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from certain participating providers, with a small copay. To get a discounted device, contact a participating provider.
