A Guide to Free Government Internet Service

Free Government Internet Service

Being connected to the internet has become one of the most important things to survive in life. It wasn’t too long ago that we weren’t even sure what the internet actually was, but those days are long gone. If you want to stay connected with your friends, family or work people, or if you would like to retrieve information about anything, then you will definitely need internet essentials, such as Google, WhatsApp, Snapchat or a banking app. Sadly, for many people it is simply unaffordable to have internet. This is where free government internet service can come in handy.

Who is Eligible for Free Government Internet Service?

The Biden administration has recently announced that the U.S. now offers government funded internet services to lower income households. The federal government has received commitments from 20 internet companies to help people with a subsidy of up to $30 to households that fall under the income bracket of 200% or less of the federal poverty line. There are a few benefit programs where you can apply to find out if you are eligible to enjoy free internet services. Some of them include programs such as Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the Pell Grant and food stamps (SNAP).

On December 31, 2021, the Affordable Connectivity Program replaced the Emergency Broadband Benefit. The Emergency Broadband Benefit program is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program that assists households and families who struggled to afford internet services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Affordable Connectivity Program continues to provide internet services to those with low incomes.

How to Apply

It’s extremely easy to apply for free government internet service. There are several companies who offer these services and all you need to do is go to one of their websites and follow the easy steps.

With the Lifeline Assistance program you will be required to enter your state of residence, then you will be asked to select one of the federal welfare programs that you participate in, such as Medicaid, SSI, SNAP, FDPIR or the Federal Public Housing Assistance program. Once you have selected the relevant program, you will be taken to the third and final step of the application process where you will indicate how many family members are in your household and what your yearly income is.

When the online enquiry has been submitted, you will be required to upload supporting documents.

Types of Internet and Wi-Fi Services Available

There are four main types of internet services available and the one you receive will largely depend on where you live:

• Satellite: Wide availability, slow, unreliable and higher pricing.
• Digital subscriber line (DSL): Can be slow depending on your needs but it is reliable and often the most affordable.
• Fiber: Known for the best speeds, fiber can have limited availability and higher pricing, but it ensures optimum internet.
• Cable: This is a good balance between value and speed.

Internet providers that offer these services:

• AT&T offers free internet with the Affordable Connectivity Program with plans of up to 100 megabits per second.
• Xfinity offers internet service plans up to as little as $30 per month through the ACP.
• Spectrum offers unlimited data, talk and text plans from $29.99 per month.
• Verizon Fios offers 100% fiber optic network for less to those who qualify with savings of up to $20 per month.
• CenturyLink provides discounted plans of up to $30 per month on broadband services for eligible households and $75 per month for households on tribal lands.
• SafeLink offers plans with unlimited talk and text as well as calls to Canada and Mexico with high-speed data up to 25 gigabytes.
• QLink offers free talk and text plus data to eligible Americans through the Lifeline program.

If you participate in any of the following programs, then you can check out any of the abovementioned service providers to see if you qualify for a government funded internet service.

If you participate in one of these assistance programs, you are eligible:

• Medicaid.
• WIC.
• SNAP.
• The National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision.
• Federal Public Housing Assistance.
• Veterans Pension or Survivor Benefits.
• Lifeline.
• SSI.

Or if you participate in one of these assistance programs and live on qualifying tribal lands you can get these services too:

• Tribal TANF.
• Tribal Head Start (income based).
• Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance.
• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.