It has been a few years since the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) ended, but the need for affordable internet continues to grow. Luckily, there are still a few options people can explore to help get affordable internet access:
- Lifeline program through the Federal Trade Commission- Lifeline is a federal program dedicated to making phone and internet service more affordable for low-income households. This benefit provides eligible consumers with a monthly discount of up to $9.25. In our area, MIDCO and Paul Bunyan accept the Lifeline discounts for their services.
- PCs for People CONNECT- PCs for People’s new affordable internet program is for low-income households. Our area is covered under their Mobile HotSpot program, meaning eligible people can select an affordable modem that matches their coverage area and determine their service duration. All plans provide unlimited 5G Internet with no throttling or hidden fees.
- T-Mobile Project 10Million- T-Mobile’s affordable internet program for low-income households with students in grades K-12. Eligible people can receive free 200GB of data per year for 5 years, free hotspot with free shipping, and no fees, costs, or annual recertification.
These programs require photo identification and either proof of income or documentation of current enrollment in an income based government assistant program (check eligibility criteria for each program to be sure). Having internet access in today’s world is crucial, but rising costs prevents many households from being connected. So explore the options available to you and get connected!