Access to the internet is more crucial now than ever, especially for individuals and families struggling financially. The internet serves as a gateway to essential resources such as job opportunities, educational tools, healthcare information, and social services. Without affordable internet access, these individuals may face increased barriers to improving their quality of life and accessing important services. Providing low-cost internet programs can help bridge the digital divide and ensure that all individuals have the opportunity to thrive in today’s digital world.
There are a number of plans specifically for low-income individuals and families. To help consumers navigate these discounted plans, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) created a scoring system called Grading Internet for Good, based on factors like cost, transparency and plan performance. The NDIA rating for each discount program includes basic information about each program and is an excellent resource to determine which low cost program may be right for you.
In the table below, click on the “+” symbol next to the provider’s name on the left-hand side to expand more information. Click on the red, hyperlinked text to go to the plan’s homepage. Click on the Good, Better or Best rating to navigate to the completed scoring rubric for an individual plan. The “Customer Alert” column describes our experiences with the ISPs and shows what information was incorrect or inconsistent.
| Provider | Plan | NDIA GIG Score | Monthly service cost | Advertised Speed | Eligibility Criteria | Service Type | Additional Taxes and Fees | Service Area | Other Notes | Customer Alert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astound | Astound – internet first | Better | $9.95 | 50/5 | National School Lunch Program, housing assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants, and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants | Fiber | Not inlcusive of taxes. May vary by state | Map | No additional notes | None |
| Astound | Astound – internet first | Better | $19.95 | 150/10 | National School Lunch Program, housing assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants, and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants | Fiber | Not inlcusive of taxes. May vary by state | Map | No additional notes | None |
| AT&T | Access | Better | $30 | 100/100 | SNAP, SSI, Free and Reduced Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, Up to 200% Federal Poverty Level | Fiber | $0 | Map | No additional notes | None |
| Comcast Xfinity | Now Internet | Best | $30 | 100/10 | Open to all customers within the service area | Cable | $0 | Map | No additional notes | None |
| Comcast Xfinity | Internet Essentials Plus | Best | $29.95 | 100/20 | SNAP, Medicaid, WIC, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, Free and Reduced Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, Received the Federal Pell Grant in the current award year or Dreamer/DACA Award (where available), Tribal TANF, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations | Fiber | $0 | Map | No additional notes | None |
| Comcast Xfinity | Internet Essentials | Better | $14.95 | 75/10 | SNAP, Medicaid, WIC, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Veterans Pension, and Survivors Benefit, Free and Reduced Lunch Program or School, Breakfast Program, Received the Federal Pell Grant in the current award year or Dreamer/DACA Award (where available), Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Head Start, Tribal TANF, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations | Fiber | $0 | Map | No additional notes | None |
| Cox Communications | ConnectAssist Package | Good | $30 | 100/5 | SNAP, WIC, SSI, Federal Public Housing, Assistance, Veterans, Pension and Survivors Benefit, Received the Federal Pell Grant in the current award year or Dreamer/DACA Award (where available), Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations | Cable | $0 | Map | No additional notes | None |
| Cox Communications | Connect2Compete | Better | $9.95 | 100/5 | SNAP, WIC, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Free and Reduced Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, Comparable federal, state, or tribal benefit programs, | Cable | $0 | Map | No additional notes | None |
| Digital C | Canopy | Best | $18 | 100/100 | Open to all customers within the service area | Fixed Wireless | $0 | Map | No additional notes | None |
| GigabitNow | Low Cost Plan Option | Best | $30 | 250/250 | SNAP, Medicaid, WIC, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, Free and Reduced Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program | Fiber | $0 | Map | No additional notes | None |
| Hawaii Telcom Internet Kokua program | Good | $12.95 | 25/3 | 135% below poverty level | Fiber | $34.99 installation | Map | No additional notes | None | |
| Human-I-T | Gold Membership | Good | $15 | 50/10 | Federal or tribal notice letter of participation in General Assistance, Government retirement or pension, Head Start, Lifeline, Medicaid, e.g. Medi-Cal or Healthy Michigan Plan, National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Need-based energy assistance, e.g. California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) or Michigan Energy Assistance Program (MEAP), Need-based financial aid, e.g. Cal Grant or Michigan Tuition Grant, Public housing assistance, e.g. Section 8 voucher, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Social Security Retirement (SSR), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or EBT), Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), VA benefits for service members | Mobile Wireless | $72.99 upfront modem fee | Map | No additional notes | None |
| NextLite | Internet Assistance Program | Best | $14.99 | 100/100 | Lifeline, Head start, Medicaid-MSP, Medicaid SLMP, Veterans pension, Survivors pension, Section 8 Federal public housing assistance, WIC, SNAP (Food Stamps), Federal Pell Grant awards Supplemental Security Income (SSI), SVVSD Education Benefit (free and reduced lunch with income qualifying benefits: free and reduce lunch due to having Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, and FDPIR, Residents living in an Longmont Housing Authority (LHA) owned property, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) | Fiber | $0 | Map | No additional notes | None |
| Optimum | Advantage Internet | Good | $14.99 | 50/5 | SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Free and Reduced Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program | Cable | $2-$3 depending on state | Map | No additional notes | None |
| PCs for People | Bridging the Gap | Good | $15 | 50/10 | SNAP, WIC, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Free and Reduced Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, Received the Federal Pell Grant in the current award year or Dreamer/DACA Award (where available), Up to 200% Federal Poverty Level, Comparable federal, state, or tribal benefit programs | Fixed wireless & mobile wireless | $35 upfront modem fee | Map | No additional notes | None |
| Spectrum (Charter Communications) | Internet Assist | Good | $25.00 | 50/10 | SSI, Free and Reduced Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, Community Eligibility Provision | Cable | $0 | Map | Installation costs may apply if technician is required ($65). Wifi will cost an additional $5/mo. Service activation fee is $30 | Spectrum representatives provided inconsistent information about which plans are only open to new customers vs new and existing customers – they shared incorrect information about both of their low cost plans. Spectrum Internet Assist is only open to new customers who meet eligibility criteria |
| Starry | Starry Connect | Good | $15 | 30/30 | Free and Reduced Lunch Program or School BreakfastProgram | Fixed Wireless | $0 | Map | No additional notes | None |
| Verizon | Fios 300 with Forward discount | Better | $29.99 | 300/300 | Lifeline, SNAP, WIC, Pell Grant, Comparable federal, state, or tribal benefit programs | Fiber | $18/mo modem rental fee for existing accounts. One-time $99 installation feeUp to $250 deposit dependent on credit checkPlan is eligible for $10 autopay discount. | Map | No additional notes | None |
| Verizon | 5G Home with Forward discount | Good | $30 | 100/10 | Lifeline, SNAP, WIC, Pell Grant, Comparable federal, state, or tribal benefit programs | Fixed Wireless | Up to $400 deposit dependent on credit check. Plan is eligible for $10 autopay discount. | Not available | No additional notes | None |
| Verizon | LTE Home with Forward discount | Good | $30 | 50/5 | Lifeline, SNAP, WIC, Pell Grant, Comparable federal, state, or tribal benefit programs | Fixed Wireless | Up to $400 deposit dependent on credit check. Price is inclusive of $10 autopay discount. | Not available | No additional notes | None |
| Xtream (Powered by Mediacom) | Xtream Connect | Better | $28.99 | 100/20 | SNAP, Medicaid, WIC, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, Free and Reduced Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, Community Eligibility Provision, Eligible for the Lifeline Benefit, Received the Federal Pell Grant in the current award year or Dreamer/DACA Award (where available), Comparable federal, state, or tribal benefit programs | Fiber | $0 | Map | Households that have at least one child that qualifies for free or reduced-price school lunch through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) may have the $14 monthly modem rental fee (inlcuded in $28.99 price) waived | None |
| Wow! | Internet 300 | Best | $30 | 300/20 | Open to all customers within the service area | Fiber | One-time $10 activation fee using the online self-install kit. One-time fee of $99 if technician installation is used. Must Use Auto-pay to access $30/mo price. Price without Auto-pay is $40/mo. Must use paperless billing to avoid additional $4/mo paper statement fee | Map | No additional notes | None |
Speed (Download/Upload) – The speeds listed for each plan are the fastest speeds advertised for that plan. Actual speeds may vary depending on the type of service available in a given area, along with a range of other factors, some of which can be controlled by the provider and some of which cannot.
Technology Type – This is the general type(s) of the service’s broadband technology. Where more than one type of service is listed, the provider generally offers service through the best technology (e.g. fiber) where it is available and through another technology (e.g. cable or DSL) where it is not.
Additional Taxes & Fees – Additional taxes and fees include any costs beyond a plan’s monthly subscription cost. These could include one-time costs like installation fees or recurring costs, such as taxes and monthly equipment rentals. While NDIA makes an effort to document all additional costs, it is possible that some costs may not be readily apparent on a provider’s website.
Service Area – Service area mapping is shown for each provider and is not plan-specific, and some plans are not offered across a provider’s entire service area. Broadband Now shows general service areas with consistent mapping across all providers. Users should contact providers directly for specific availability for each plan, using the links provided in the “Plan” field.
Eligibility Criteria – Eligibility criteria are based NDIA’s Low-Cost Plans Model
Cost of Service
NDIA recommends a low-cost broadband price point of $30 per month or less; $75 for Tribal households (inclusive of all taxes, fees, and charges), with no additional non-recurring costs or fees. Sixty-two percent of US households making $50,000 or less say they can only afford an internet bill of $25 or less.
Rural communities pay more for home broadband than urban areas. On average, areas with lower-density populations pay 37 percent more than urban areas. NDIA recognizes rural and small business ISPs face unique challenges and may not be able to offer low-cost plans in this range without a subsidy.
Additionally, CNET has an interactive map that allows you to search by state to find the best low-cost internet programs. This may be the best starting place for your search. If multiple programs exist in your area, follow-up by reviewing the NDIA rating for each program to make your selection.
You can find more financial resources by selecting the “Financial Resources” category tab on our Social Service “Utilization Library” page.