Discounted Home Internet Service Offerings COVID-19

Discounted Home Internet Service Offerings: COVID-19

In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, several internet and telecom service providers have pledged to offer free access to the internet or

increased data allowances to ensure people can get online during this unprecedented time. The table below highlights some of the latest offerings.

Please note: This document is our best interpretation of each company's offerings, which are subject to change. Contact the Internet Service

Providers directly for details.

Summary

You have a few options for free or discounted internet access:

1. Comcast, Cox, and Altice are offering free internet service with no contract, for qualified customers.

2. Personal Mobile Device as wifi hotspot:

• If you have a mobile phone and a data plan, your provider may have expanded your ability to use your mobile phone as a

“hotspot.” Verify with your mobile provider what is available; a number of major carriers have increased the data allowed for

mobile hotspots.

• How it works: To turn your mobile phone into a hotspot, you change a setting in your cellular settings that enables hotspot,

and you will see wifi name and login information on your phone. Then choose the wifi name in your computer’s wifi list, and

type in the password you see on your phone. Contact your mobile carrier or view your carrier’s website for details on how to

setup a mobile hotspot.

3. Free public wifi hotspots available in some residential areas from AT&T, Comcast, and Charter (and, perhaps, others). You should use

these with Pulse Secure VPN to create a secure connection.

• How it works: In the wifi settings on your device, you will be able to see available public wifi. For example, for Comcast it

says “xfinitywifi”. You will now be able to connect to that without any limits on time. Each person using Comcast for their

internet has a router that acts as an access point or hotspot for public wifi. This gives other people access to the Xfinity wifi if

they are near, but they are not using the customer’s wifi; it is Xfinity operated.

We will do our best to update this document with offers from other companies.

Discounted Home Internet Service Offerings: COVID-19

Service Provider &

Info

Offer

Eligibility/Restrictions

Additional Fees Location/

Availability

Altice

(Optimum &

Suddenlink)

Information:

https://www.alticeadva

ntageinternet.com/#/

60 Days Free Internet:

30 mbps internet speed free for

60 days with the ability to cancel

at any time.

Restrictions Apply

1. Must be a new customer.

2. Must be eligible for the

National School Lunch

Program; or NYC resident

w/child attending NYC

public school; or received

SSI and 65 years+; or a

veteran receiving state or

federal public assistance.

Optimum customers: $30

installation fee waived

through 4/30/2020. Fee

applies after 5/1/2020 and

will appear in three (3) $10

installments of the first 3

monthly bills.

Suddenlink customers:

$20 installation fee applies at

time of installation.

Optimum: CT,

NJ, NY, PA

Suddenlink: AR,

AZ, CA, ID, KS,

KY, LA,MO, MS,

NC, NM, OH, OK,

TX, VA, WV

AT&T

Information:

https://about.att.com/p

ages/COVID-19.html

Access from AT&T

Program

Improved Data and Payment

Allowances:

1. AT&T will suspend broadband

data caps for home internet.

2. AT&T home internet customers

can use unlimited internet data.

3. AT&T will not terminate services

for existing customers for

inability to pay their bills.

4. They will also waive late

payment fees.

Discounted Internet for

“Limited Income” Households:

Offer of $10/month internet access

for qualifying limited income

households.

Free Public WiFi Hotspots:AT&T

public wifi hotspots will be open for

anyone.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If

connecting to any public network, you

should connect to Pulse Secure VPN

for

added security.

All current customers will

receive these offers as well as

anyone in range of AT&T

public wifi.

AT&T is available

nationwide.

Discounted Home Internet Service Offerings: COVID-19

Service Provider &

Info

Offer

Eligibility/Restrictions

Additional Fees Location/

Availability

Charter

To enroll in this

special offer call:

1-844-488-8395

60 Days Free Internet:

Offering free broadband and wifi access

for 60 days for new customers.

Installation fees will be waived. No

commitment to a subscription necessary.

(To enroll call 1-844-488-8395)

Restrictions Apply

Free Public WiFi Hotspots: Charter will

open their WiFi hotspots for public use.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If connecting to any

public network, you should connect to

Pulse Secure VPN for added security.

1. Must be a new customer.

2. For households with

students in K-12 or college.

No contract required.

However, after 60 days,

customers will be billed at

regular rates unless they

disconnect their service.

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO,

CT, FL, GA, HI, ID,

IL, IN, KS, KY, LA,

ME, MD, MA, MI,

MN, MS, MO, MT,

NE, NV, NH, NJ,

NM, NY, NC, OH,

OR, PA, RI, SC, TN,

TX, UT, VT, VA,

WA, WV, WI, WY

Comcast

Information:

https://www.internetes

sentials.com/apply

60 Days Free Internet:

Offering new residential customers who

qualify for the Internet Essentials Program

free internet for 60 days with no contract

commitment.

Improved Data and Payment

Allowances starting March 13:

• Comcast will suspend data caps for

60 days.

• Comcast will not disconnect service

or charge late fees for customers

who contact the company regarding

overdue payments for 60 days.

• Comcast is opening Xfinity wifi

hotspots for public use (should

connect to Pulse Secure VPN if

connected to public wifi).

1. Must be eligible for certain

public assistance

programs.

2. Must not have outstanding

debt to Comcast that is less

than 1 year old.

3. You must not have

subscribed to services

within the last 90 days.

No contract required.

However, after 60 days,

customers will be billed at

regular rates unless they

disconnect their service.

Offer ends 4/30/2020.

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO,

CT, DE, DC, FL, GA,

ID, IL, IN, KS, KY,

LA ME, MD, MA, MI,

MN, MO, NH, NJ,

NM, NY, NC, OH,

OR, PA, SC, TN,

TX, UT, VT, VA,

WA, WV, WI

Discounted Home Internet Service Offerings: COVID-19

Service Provider &

Info

Offer

Eligibility/Restrictions

Additional Fees Location/

Availability

Cox Internet

Information:

https://www.cox.com/r

esidential/internet/con

nect2compete.html

1 Month Free Internet:

Effective 3/16, new customers can

receive a free month of internet service

with Connect2Compete with no contract

commitment.

1. Qualifying households

must have at least one

student in K-12.

2. Qualifying households must

participate in a government

assistance program.

Will be charged $9.95/month

after initial free month, if you

do not cancel service.

AR, AZ, CA, CT,

DC, FL, GA, ID, IA,

KS, LA, MA, NE,

NV, NC, OH, OK, RI,

Sparklight

Information:

https://www.sparklight.

com/press/Pages/Spa

rklight-Makes-

Unlimited-Data-

Available-on-All-

Internet-Plans-

Waives-Late-Fees-

During-Coronavirus-

Crisis.aspx

Improved Data and Payment

Allowances:

• Unlimited internet service on all

plans for 30 days.

• They will waive late fees for 60 days

if you call them.

All current customers receive

this offer.

Will need to call to waive late

fees.

AL, AR, AZ, ID, IA,

KS, LA, MN, MS,

MO, NE, NM, ND,

OK, OR, SD, TN,

TX, WA

T-Mobile

Information:

https://www.t-

mobile.com/brand/ong

oing-updates-covid-19

T-Mobile Lifeline

Information and

Application

Improved Data and Payment

Allowances:

• T-Mobile will have no data cap for its

home internet service.

• All current wireless customers with

cell phone plans with data will

receive unlimited smartphone data

and an extra 20GB of mobile

hotspot/tethering for the next 60

days.

• T-Mobile Lifeline (5GB of free data

per month for 60 days) for qualified

low-income customers.

All current T-Mobile customers

receive these offers.

T-Mobile Lifeline – customers

must apply. Eligibility depends

on state requirements.

Unlimited smartphone data for

60 days, excludes roaming.

T-Mobile is available

nationwide.

T-Mobile Lifeline:

FL, KY, MN, MS,

NM, PA, TX, VA,

WA, PR

Discounted Home Internet Service Offerings: COVID-19

Service Provider &

Info

Offer

Eligibility/Restrictions

Additional Fees Location/

Availability

Verizon

Information:

https://www.verizon.co

m/about/news/our-

response-coronavirus

Verizon Lifeline

Information and

Application

Improved Data and Payment

Allowances:

• Verizon offers no data caps on its

home internet broadband services.

• They have increased internet speeds

for home internet at no cost to

customers.

• Starting 3/11, they will be waiving

late fees for people impacted by

COVID-19 for 60 days.

• Verizon Lifeline discounted

plan available for qualified low-

income customers.

All current Verizon home

internet customers receive

these offers.

Verizon Lifeline – customers

must apply. Eligibility depends

on state requirements.

Verizon broadband

has nationwide

coverage.

Verizon Lifeline:

CT, DC, DE, MA,

MD, NC, NJ, NY,

PA, RI, VA

Don’t see your local provider? Contact your local ISP or cable company to see if they are offering any deals at this time.