Internet Essentials: Another twist on low-cost broadband service for low-income Americans
Comcast, the cable TV giant, is also getting into the low-cost internet business with a program called Internet Essentials. This is very good news. If you live in areas of the country served by Comcast and you qualify, you can now get Internet Essentials for just $9.95 per month instead of the $40–60 the company had charged in the past for its lowest cost basic plan.
Consider this important statistic: Only 45% of families earning under $30,000 currently have broadband service in their homes. This puts those parents and their children at a huge disadvantage when it comes to finding and applying for jobs, communicating with doctors, completing homework and other everyday tasks that more affluent families take for granted.
Internet Essentials is very similar to the Connect To Compete program. They both cost just $9.95 a month and deliver a blazing fast 1.5 – 3.0 Mbps download speed. Qualifying families will even be able to purchase a computer for only $149.99. There are no activation fees and no additional equipment fees.
You also get the world famous Norton Security Suite which gives you professional online security. It’s a $160 value, but you get it absolutely free.
And finally, Internet Essentials gives you free parental control features to help protect your kids whether they’re doing their schoolwork or just playing on the internet.
How to qualify for Internet Essentials
To qualify for Internet Essentials and get a low-cost computer and high-speed internet access for just $9.95 per month, a family must have at least one child who receives free school lunches through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). If your child qualifies for the free lunch program but doesn’t yet participate, you’ll need to sign up.
In addition, you cannot have been a Comcast internet subscriber in the last 90 days and you cannot have any overdue Comcast bills or unreturned equipment.
Of course, you have to be in an area served by Comcast, but you’ve got a good chance, since Internet Essentials will be available in more than 4,000 school districts in 39 states plus the District of Columbia.
The states we show as having Comcast Cable available are: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Missouri, Mississippi, Minnesota, Michigan, New Mexico, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia (DC). If you don’t see your state on the list, you should still check with Comcast in case they’ve added service in a state since we wrote this.
Contact Information
Comcast Cable:
Website: www.comcast.com
Phone: 855-846-8376
Internet Essentials:
Website: www.internetessentials.com
Phone: 855-846-8376
Comcast profile:
Profile Page: Comcast Cable
Once enrolled, a customer will be able to continue receiving Internet Essentials service for at the same low price as long as at least one child in their household continues to receive free lunches under the National School Lunch Program.
While Comcast hasn’t joined other cable companies in Connect To Compete program that brings low cost internet service to America’s neediest citizens, the details of the two programs are virtually identical.
Internet Essentials originated when Comcast acquired NBC. In order to win FCC approval, Comcast agreed to “increase broadband deployment in low income households” for three years.
Let’s hope the program ends up running a lot longer than that.
{ 74 comments… read them below or add one }
would like to register for your program
i live in Wells V.T., do u cover that area?
You need to contact Internet Essentials.
I would like to not pay for your program, but I don’t seem to have that option.
Not everything is free, mojo.
hi cheap internet admin, i dont have children…. period! are there any programs that i can pay 9.95 per month to get internet? I have proof that i am on food stamps and have no income right now. I just need to have internet so that i can get a job and hopefully better my life! I could use a small break, I am hopefull and and i have a desire for life still and im hoping it will prevail here. please help me out and ty for your time
I would also NOT like to pay for this service. Where can I select that option?
I am looking for a cheap internet,I am on a very low budget income SS. I really
need something I can afford. I am not computer savy, I am 79 so I don’t need all
the extras I just need it to work , LIke if I want to send an e-mail I know is going
through. I have been with ATT-U verse and I have never rec. an e-mail under the
att,net. internet I keep complainng but no results is time to look for something I can
afford. I need to get Att-u verse out of my pocket for internet and phone. I can’t
afford it on SS. Please reply ASAP. Thank You
I don’t have children, but I do need a cheap internet and phone. What I have now
is really wipeing me out on Social Security income Please reply.
Check out the Internet Basics plan. You don’t need a child on school lunch for that one.
hi id like to get this and i get free lunches at my skool and i wanna no how long this will last IM 12
My son attends a free public charter school that does not have a standard kitchen (it’s only a “warming kitchen”) so therefore no state lunch program. We are on TANF and Medicaid and waiting for unemployment but live in the Comcast service area and unfortunately a high cost of living area..Key West. Is having a child on the free school lunch program the only consideration to apply for the Internet Essentials program? Thank you for your time.
i live in yonkers, new york and want to know if this or any other cheap internet service is available in my area zip code 10704…thanks
What about people who are caretakers for elderly relatives who’s income or employment has been effected. The unifying theme for these programs requires that you have children. But there are a significant amount of americans who are careing for elderly/or disabled individuals which can be every bit as time consuming and financially exhaustive as those with children. Not to mention the endless research required to try to find programs that are specific to their retirement status, health problems, and social programs that are income sensitive. Alot of women of a specific generation trusted that the government would always protect them and now we find elderly women with not so supportive retirement alternatives who don’t qualify for social security or social programs because of technicalities. Where is there help for people in my situation? My aunt is eternally at the threshold according to beaurocrats but not beyond it enough to keep her own head above the water, and not below it enough to qualify for anything. The middle is a crappy place to be. sorry for the downer guys, just need to vent some frustration.
I’m curious– we don’t qualify for free lunches but reduced lunches. Does that still qualify us for Comcast’s internet essentials program?
No, Lauren, that does not count.
I was just on Comcast’s Internet Essentials website and it says families with a child who receives reduced price lunches may be eligible, too, so I would go ahead and call whichever program covers your area. The most you’ll lose is a 5 minute phone call.
I am a 65 year old man living on 920.00 per month I think I aught to get the 9dollar deal.
Other companies are offering the 9deollar deal. but I’d rather stay with you.Drop me a low income deal.
The obvious or underlying theme in the responses is the frustration with the child-on-school-lunch requirement. WHY in the world would the companies have a requirement so specific that most low-income Americans can’t qualify? Just because you don’t have children doesn’t mean you’re not just as desperate for help and just as determined to better yourself. In fact, people on school lunch programs are already taking advantage of a safety net, but they’re not necessarily the poorest. The poorest now seem to be people in their 50s and beyond.
Guess I’ll try to look elsewhere — wherever that is.
Well, in my area comcast is the devil of internet providers. They need to have rediculose restrictions or they would actually help people who need it. Statistically people with kids, are more social and will tell more people about what a great things that company is doing with them. For me it’s them or att only…
I would like to enrole in this program, but the web sites just takes you in circles.
My younger brother, sister and I all three are on the low income free school lunches deal. I told my parents about this and it seems like they are interested… This would really help me with allot of school work and keep the kids entertained. Allot of people havnt yet realized how important enternet is becomng to families with kids in school. not trying to seem like I want something for nothing but I do hope the enternet quality being promised in this article is actually what you get. That and I hope its available in my area. Any way I can ask if it is without saying where I live on this post?
The program should not be only for someone who has a child who is receiving free lunch. It should be for any low income person.
What about us low income Americans without kids? I would like to have affordable high speed internet but Comcast is only doing it for families with kids on free or reduced school lunch…shoot, I guess I have to go find a poor kid who wants to hang out with me….
http://www.cheapinternet.com/low-income-internet/internet-basics
help: http://www.cheapinternet.com/get-help
just kidding
I’m not sure about all the previous comments. This program works like it should but not easy to find the correct procedure.
New generation should have access to the internet. That applies to schools, libraries, churches and the most important our homes. The ones that can not afford it should be sponsored somehow. Comcast and Federal Government makes that happened. I know they (Comcast) do this because of the FCC regulations that force them to do it, regulating big corporations mergers like NBC Universal and Comcast. For now it’s available for anyone that has a child in school that receives reduced or free lunches.
Im interested in the cheap internet service Im enrolled in lifeline government program with reach out wireless and need internet and home phone along with cable cheaper then what I pay with time warner cable. So please tell me how I can apply for this service?
What? You need cable cheaper? This is why the country is failing!
this sounds to good to be true but i’ll try anyway. is this available in southeast iowa by any chance? we have 2 ISP in this area, wildblue and hughesnet both charge an outlandish price for services, for example: $141.00 a month for just internet, i live online and i get 25Gb allowance in bandwidth per month. i had better internet where i lived before and only paid $66.00 a month!
i live in Rubio IA, 52585 (if thats needed to find out if i can get this here)
I no longer have school aged children but I am a senior citizen and have to have my internet to keep in touch with my children and grandchildren and to manage my bills. I now have Comcast broadband service but can no longer afford it. Is there any low cost programs out there for someone like me?
Hi, I live out of the city limits of Archer Fl. 32618 & many folk beside myself are out here with NO OPTION for internet except for dial-up. Can & will you EVER come out this way to provide service for us?? I have broadband right now but waiting any minute to be disconnected because the company I have Mainstreet Broadband is is out of business,,,
Notice to Customers
We regret to inform you that as of today, August 1, 2012, Broadband South LLC (d/b/a Main Street Broadband, the “Company”) is forced to cease operations. Despite certain assurances, we have been unable to reach an agreement with our senior lender, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (“RUS”) that would have enabled us to continue operations.
We encourage you to make immediate arrangements for an alternative broadband supplier, as the network will eventually be shut down. We apologize for the inconvenience caused.
Sincerely,
Broadband South LLC
so please advise with MAYBE some hope for us out here in the woods,,, Thanks for your time
It irritates me when they talk about ‘blazing fast’ internet speeds of 1.5Mbps as if this was something special. The ENTIRE country of S. Korea has FREE internet for all its citizens at an astounding 38Mbps (minimum): some areas are getting up to 58Mbps! They also made it their goal to have 100% literacy & are now at 98% literacy for ALL citizens (w/students required to learn 2 languages by 5th grade – Korean & English) – ditto India in this type program – whereas the US’s had an official program to ‘dumb down’ its citizens since 1970. (Download & read the FREE internet book by C. Iserbyt, Ronald Reagan’s Sr. adviser: “the Deliberate Dumbing Down of America”) It’s working, too. We’ve dropped from 94% literacy in 1970 to just under 50% in 2011. This means 1:2 U.S. citizens can’t read/write at a 5th grade level!!! Other nations’ crime rates’ve dropped & we have THE largest prison population in the world at a staggering cost of 112 BILLION/yr. Wonder why our jobs are going overseas & crime is rising? It’s no accident.
This is about Internet not the US and their illiteracy. The crime rate and literacy comes from morals and values not being taught to children and parents not taking time to make school a priority. — and NOTHING is free, someone pays for it. FYI, learned that in economics. Bet I’m younger than you and definitely not illiterate for having to pay for Internet or going to school in the US.
pretty shur it comes from property taxes or what ever fee they have to pay in their country every year
hey this is not fair that u have to be over 90 days off of comcast to use this low income program as ofright now i will be loosing cable and internet because of our finacial situation we are currently on comcast and they should work with its coustomers we follow under three of the listed programs u need to be on and cetury link requires u to pay for a modem lease some kinda connection fee shipping fee and taxes on top of that for the first month bill if u install its 50.90 if u have someone come out its anoth 30.00 you are pretty much stuck with comcast
PLEASE READ the article Internet Basic is NOT thru Comcast it is thru Century Link and looks to be Verizon FIOS so IF you have FIOS in your area I am going to take a stab in the dark and say Century is not available to you. But you put in your Zip and then your address after you click the lets get started Starburst…
Now if you get the Netbook for $150 you have to stay signed up for 2yrs 1st yr 9.95 & free modem then 13th month goes to $14.95 + modem or you can purchase modem thru them Internet speed is 1.5 that is SLOW if you ask me and that is as fast as it will get it says will usually run 15% slower than 1.5 AND there is no guarantee AND if it doesn’t live up to your expectations – it goes down – it is slow – it is always dropping – Tuff OH OH Yea I ALMOST forgot EVERY YEAR you have to be in the SAME finacial position you are in when you got the service aka you must qualify or you owe $$$
I just got service through Comcast and I’m just wondering why I wasn’t informed of this when I mentioned I had kids. I’ve had this service for 2 weeks and my daughter was just approved for free lunches and I’m just hearing about this today. So do I really have to wait 90 days?
My daughter get’s free lunch at school I would like to get this get this.I have never heard of this untill now, I was looking for cheaper internet because I am going to have to get the service I have now turned off in a few days because I can’t pay the high amont any longer.I come across this web site and read about it so please get back to me asap and tell me what I need to do to get this internet. Thank you so much. Mrs. Tammy Smith
Its not right that my son has to be without Internet access for school for 90days because we currently have Comcast but have to get rid of it because it is too expensive for me a single mom who is living on food stamps, child support and unemployment for now. So Comcast would rather help other companies customers than help there own. I lost my job due to downsizing after 30 years and this is just one more blow! Shame on you Comcast!!
We agree!
Do you have a similar option like this but for cable tv service? Thanks.
How can I apply ?
Contact information is on the page.
What Page? To apply? Cable serv. and free internset?
My mother is elderly (78) and has only SSI, Medicare and food stamps as her support. is she eligible. Right now I am paying her cable bill (she has Cox Communications) but it is putting a hardship on me to do so, this would help me. Does she qualify
I agree with Mojo. I work and work and GET NOTHING FREE! I make enough money to get by but can’t afford a cell phone!
I’m also on SS and Comcast never offered any low price internet or cable to me although I’ve explained about my finances. Had to do some searching and still am paying high price for modem and box for t.v. Although found low internet and cable it still takes almost $100.00 a month for these two bills by the time they add the boxes and all thier so called taxes and fcc fees etc it wipes a good portion out. The Gov., promised free boxes when they first allowed t.v. over the air wave programs to be removed but if you have a HD t.v. you get charged almost 10.00 a month for the box and 7.50 for the modem. We cannot win. Most of us have to pay or give it up.
go on alibaba, amazon, or ebay and buy a surfboard cable modem, dump the comcast monthly lease. Ask them for 3 free DTA boxes and return your cable box. good luck!
hi.i am 56 year old grandmother .my income is very low. older peoples shouldn,t have to pay a lot of money for cable r internet..55 and up.we have a hard time paying for our bills..things have went up ..food, rent, light, gas, clothers.,it is hard for use .
I have had a safelink phone for about a year, but didn’t know about the reduced cost internet service at all. I feel that these wonderful gifts that are out there for those of us who are disabled are not advertised very well and we have to go out and do our own how to do things right and what is available to us. Our minds are on the diseases and pain we suffer, not what is available to make our lives easier. I wish someone would organize a page with all the great discounts that low income people could participate in, each with credits so that when you go back to work, the more credits you have, the longer you get to keep servicess as a reassurance that we won’t just be dropped on our head when we start a new part of our life. My biggest fear is that if I go back to work and my benefits don’t start for 3 months, or if I don’t even get benefits, I won’t be able to afford to go see the doctor or pay out of pocket because all my benefits will be taken away. I didn’t ask to be disabled, nor did I ask to live without the many things that other people take for granted. I would love to have an updated IPhone or a new laptop, but by the time I would be able to get one of those, it will be obsolete. Martin Luther King had a dream…what about MY dream? If you can help me, I would really appreciate it!
The problem is ….You have to not have comcast already…I wish I would have been aware of this program when I signed up for comcast because it’s not like they are telling you that this is avail. and our schools are not publishing this information. So sad.
I would like to sign up for this service, however i already have comcast can they swich me? i am low income and paying 60 a month for internet. i can barely afford it. i need it for college.
Unfortunately you will need to get off of it for 90 days first.
“In addition, you cannot have been a Comcast internet subscriber in the last 90 days and you cannot have any overdue Comcast bills or unreturned equipment.”
I have free lunches for my children and would like to know how to apply. Internet and computer.
Please read this page.
I have a 4 yr old who will be in school in the fall and will receive free lunch and a 2 yr old, along with a 19yr old that is in college. The oldest receives fiancial assistance with school and all three recieve medicaid but we live in Maryland. Is there any program that would work for our situation?
Won’t this program, Internet Essentials, work for you?
I live in gatesville texas do y’all cover my area?
So if you don’t have a kid tough? It’s very hard to find a job without Internet but I suppose Comcast figures the more money you take out of the community the more you qualify? So I should have a child I can’t afford, get snap and free lunches as well as Medicaid and then I’ll deserve to be able to find a job, become a taxpayer again and maybe even a customer buy some of their more outrageously price products?
If they offered a program to families WITHOUT a child qualified for free food at school they would have been sued up the wazoo but discriminate against people who won’t bring a child into their lives until they can afford it and no one cares. Somehow this system is getting more and more backwards. Being responsible in this century just doesn’t pay.
How do I apply for it?
All the contact info is in the article above.
Where in Vancouver if there is a cheap internet services and want to know how much it cost for the internet services.
Sent me a letter to
Anthony ***
*********
V6E 1S8
(admin redacted address)
No government subsidized internet in Canada?
were do I sign up for internet essential program
All contact information for the program is in the article above.
Anyone know if there is a company that offers free or low income internet in northern michigan I have four kids all in school and I would really like to find a way to provinde internet to them for schooling and socializing with family who are out of state
I have SS and SSI and my income is 710 per month. I do get food stamps and Medicaid. I got a free cell from Assurance. How can I get cheap internet as well as cheap TV cable?
How do I apply for free internet?
With the fastest growing section of our population being over the age of 60 and a very large amount living on just social security, you need to extend this program to low income seniors.
What amazes me is the number of folks that think they should have their lives paid for by those of us that work. Sad, really sad.
I would like to register
so i guess if you are poor and have no kids you are screwed
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