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Internet Essentials: Another twist on low-cost broadband service for low-income Americans

Comcast, the cable TV giant, is the biggest name in the low-cost internet business with a program called Internet Essentials. 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 (after teaser promotions) the company charges for its lowest cost basic plan. As of August 2014, over 1.4 million kids from 350,000 families now are online thanks to the wonderful program.

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 costs just $9.95 a month and delivers a blazing fast 10 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, and your internet now comes with a wireless router.

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 eligible to receive a reduced or free school lunch through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) (recently broadened to include students in private schools, parochial schools and homeschooled students). Schools designated at “Provision 2” automatically qualify all students.

There are two restrictions that you must be aware of:

  1. You cannot have been a Comcast internet subscriber in the last 90 days. If you want to get Internet Essentials, you are going to need to cancel (if you contract allows) your service and call Internet Essentials to sign up after three months.
  2. You cannot have a Comcast bills that is over 12 months past due. However, if you have an overdue bill from just within the last 12 months, Comcast has recently changed the rules and will accept you as an Internet Essentials customer, provided you agree to the payment plan they work up to pay off the late bills.
  3. You cannot have any unreturned equipment.

Of course, you have to be in an area served by Comcast, but you’ve got a good chance, since Internet Essentials is 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, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, 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

Internet Essentials:
Website: www.internetessentials.com
In Spanish: www.internetessentials.com/es/
Phone: 855-846-8376

Comcast profile:
Profile Page: Comcast Cable

Once enrolled, a customer will be able to continue receiving Internet Essentials service at the same low price as long as at least one child in their household continues to qualify for a reduced or free lunch under the National School Lunch Program.

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. In 2014 they said they would like to run the program “indefinitely.”

Let’s hope they keep to that plan.

If you aren’t able to get Internet Essentials in your area, or if you have trouble qualifying, take a look at our exhaustive list of low-income internet providers to find one that might be able to help you. And keep up with the latest developments on our news and blog page.

Cities and Towns with Internet Essentials

This is not an exhaustive list but shows most of the cities and towns where Comcast Internet Essentials is available.

Alabama: Bessemer, Birmingham, Dothan, Florence, Gadsden, Huntsville, Madison, Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Arkansas: Little Rock, North Little Rock, Arizona: Tucson, AZ

Arkansas: Little Rock, North Little Rock

Arizona: Tucson

California: Alameda, Antioch, Berkeley, Carmichael, Chico, Citrus Heights, Clovis, Concord, Costa Mesa, Cupertino, Daly City, Davis, Elk Grove, Fairfield, Folsom, Fremont, Fresno, Hanford, Hayward, Livermore, Lodi, Los Angeles, Madera, Manteca, Merced, Milpitas, Modesto, Mountain View, Napa, Novato, Oakland, Palo Alto, Petaluma, Pittsburgh, Pleasanton, Porterville, Rancho Cordova, Redwood City, Richmond, Roseville, Sacramento, Salinas, San Francisco, San José, San Leandro, San Mateo, San Pablo, San Rafael, San Ramon, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Santa Maria, Santa Rosa, South San Francisco, Stockton, Sunnyvale, Tracy, Tulare, Turlock, Union City, Vacaville, Vallejo, Visalia, Walnut Creek, Watsonville, Woodland, Yuba City

Colorado: Arvada, Aurora, Boulder, Brighton, Broomfield, Castle Rock, Colorado Springs, Denver, Englewood, Fort Collins, Greeley, Littleton, Longmont, Loveland, Parker, Pueblo

Connecticut: Bristol, Danbury, Hamden, Hartford, Manchester, Meriden, New Britain, New Haven, Waterbury, West Hartford

Delaware: Dover, New Castle, Newark, Wilmington

Florida: Apopka, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Bradenton, Brandon, Cape Coral, Clearwater, Clermont, Deland, Delray Beach, Deltona, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Fort Pierce, Gainesville, Hialeah, Hollywood, Homestead, Jacksonville, Jupiter, Kissimmee, Lake City, Lake Worth, Lakeland, Lehigh Acres, Miami, Miami Beach, Naples, North Port, Ocala, Opa Locka, Orange Park, Orlando, Palm Bay, Palm Beach Gardens, Panama City, Plant City, Pompano Beach, Port Charlotte, Port Saint Lucie, Punta Gorda, Riverview, Saint Augustine, Saint Cloud, Sanford, Sarasota, Stuart, Tallahassee, Tampa, Valrico, Venice, Vero Beach, West Palm Beach, Winter Haven, Winter Park

Georgia: Acworth, Alpharetta, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Brunswick, Buford, Canton, Carrollton, Cartersville, Conyers, Covington, Cumming, Dallas, Dalton, Decatur, Douglasville, Duluth, Fayetteville, Gainesville, Griffin, Jonesboro, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Lithonia, Loganville, Marietta, Mcdonough, Newnan, Norcross, Powder Springs, Riverdale, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Snellville, Stockbridge, Stone Mountain, Suwanee, Woodstock

Illinois: Arlington Heights, Aurora, Berwyn, Bloomington, Bolingbrook, Champaign, Chicago, Chicago Heights, Cicero, Crystal Lake, Decatur, Des Plaines, Elgin, Evanston, Joliet, Naperville, Orland Park, Palatine, Peoria, Plainfield, Rockford, Round Lake, Schaumburg, Skokie, Springfield, Tinley Park, Waukegan, Wheaton

Indiana: Anderson, Bloomington, Carmel, Columbus, Crown Point, Elkhart, Fishers, Fort Wayne, Gary, Greenwood, Hammond, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Lafayette, Muncie, Noblesville, South Bend, Valparaiso, West Lafayette

Kansas: Olathe, Overland Park

Kentucky: Bowling Green, Paducah

Louisiana: Bossier City, Houma, Monroe, Shreveport

Maine: Portland

Massachusetts: Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Dorchester, Fall River, Framingham, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Medford, New Bedford, Quincy, Somerville, Springfield, Waltham

Michigan: Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Canton, Clinton Township, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Detroit, East Lansing, Farmington, Flint, Grand Rapids, Holland, Howell, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Livonia, Macomb, Muskegon, Pontiac, Rochester, Saint Clair Shores, Southfield, Sterling Heights, Taylor, Troy, Utica, Warren, Waterford, West Bloomfield, Westland, Ypsilanti

Minnesota: Burnsville, Eden Prairie, Minneapolis, Osseo, Saint Paul

Missouri: Independence, Kansas City, Lees Summit

Mississippi:Brandon, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Meridian

North Carolina: Burlington

North Dakota: Annapolis, Baltimore, Bel Air, Bethesda, Bowie, Columbia, Ellicott City, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Glen Burnie, Hagerstown, Hyattsville, Laurel, Parkville, Pasadena, Rockville, Salisbury, Silver Spring, Upper Marlboro, Waldorf

New Hampshire: Manchester, Nashua

New Jersey: Bayonne, Brick, Camden, Cherry Hill, East Orange, Edison, Elizabeth, Jersey City, Lakewood, Newark, Passaic, Plainfield, Toms River, Trenton, Union City, Vineland

New Mexico: Albuquerque, Farmington, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho, Santa Fe

Ohio: Youngstown, Albany, Beaverton, Corvallis, Eugene, Gresham, Hillsboro, Portland, Salem, Springfield

Pennsylvania: Altoona, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Johnstown, Lancaster, Lebanon, Levittown, Mechanicsburg, Norristown, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Pottstown, Reading, Scranton, State College, West Chester, Wilkes Barre, York

Rhode Island: Pawtucket

South Carolina: Aiken, Charleston, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Summerville,
Tennessee: Antioch, Chattanooga, Clarksville, Cleveland, Cookeville, Cordova, Franklin, Hendersonville, Jackson, Johnson City, Kingsport, Knoxville, Maryville, Memphis, Murfreesboro, Nashville

Texas: Baytown, Conroe, Cypress, Houston, Humble, Katy, Kingwood, League City
Missouri City, Pasadena, Pearland, Richmond, Spring, Sugar Land, Tomball

Utah: Clearfield, Layton, Logan, Ogden, Orem, Provo, Salt Lake City, Sandy, West Jordan

Virginia: Alexandria, Arlington, Ashburn, Centreville, Charlottesville, Danville, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Glen Allen, Harrisonburg, Henrico, Herndon, Leesburg, Lynchburg, Manassas, Mechanicsville, Midlothian, Petersburg, Reston, Richmond, Roanoke, Springfield, Stafford, Sterling, Vienna, Williamsburg, Winchester, Woodbridge

Washington: Auburn, Bellevue, Bellingham, Bothell, Bremerton, Everett, Federal Way, Kent, Kirkland, Lakewood, Lynnwood, Marysville, Olympia, Port Orchard, Puyallup, Redmond, Renton, Seattle, Snohomish, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Yakima

Washington, DC

West Virginia: Charleston, Huntington, Martinsburg, Morgantown

Recent Articles on Internet Essentials

senior citizen internet Finally: HUD approves internet access program for low-income seniors - Seniors in all of Comcast's markets can now apply for the company's Internet Essentials program to obtain internet access for $9.95 per month. It's also offering technical training, digital literacy programs, and devices for senior citizens in those communities.
Huge Internet Essentials expansion: $10 per month plan now available to HUD families with no children - If there’s one complaint we hear most often here at CheapInternet.com, it is that none of the low-income Internet plans are available to families without children. Well, Comcast and its Internet Essentials program has taken a big step toward solving that problem. Comcast and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (otherwise known as […]
public housing internet More good news for America’s poor: Comcast bringing cheap internet to public housing residents - Comcast just announced that it has begun rolling out its low-income, high-speed Internet Essentials plan to residents of public housing.
community college Comcast testing Internet Essentials program for low-income community college students in Colorado and Illinois - Until now, the Internet Essentials program has targeted low-income families with at least one student who qualifies for the National School Lunch Program. What’s always baffled us if that students’ eligibility was cut off the day they graduated from high school — just in time to cut them off from affordable internet as they go […]
senior internet Great news for America’s senior citizens: Internet Essentials conducting pilot program for seniors - If everything goes well, Comcast will begin offering high-speed Internet for just $9.95 per month to senior citizens across the country. Eligible seniors will also be offered Internet-ready computers for just $150.
senior citizen internet It’s about time: Comcast develops pilot program to bring high-speed internet to low-income seniors - Comcast is addressing one of the Internet Essential program's biggest shortcomings by conducting a pilot program designed to bring Internet Essentials to low-income senior citizens.
Internet essentials high-speed Twice as nice: Comcast doubles the speed of low-income Internet Essentials program - Internet Essentials has made their outstanding program even better by doubling its speed from 5 Megabytes per second to 10 Mbps., and giving customers a free wireless router.
epb internet Low-income Chattanooga residents can now get super-fast cheap internet from city-owned utility - EPB, a municipally-owned electric company in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is now offering low-income residents of the city really high-speed internet at really low prices.
Comcast Time Warner merger Bad news for needy Americans: Comcast announces that its merger with Time Warner Cable is dead - If the Comcast / Time Warner merger would have been approved, Comcast would have likely extended their $9.95/ month low-income Internet Essentials program to Time Warner customers.
wireless router A problem with Internet Essentials: No wireless routers - You’ve done a great job with Internet Essentials, Comcast, but it’s time to start offering your wireless capability as part of the basic Internet Essentials package.

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Comments

  1. Hello my name is Lashona Lacy @ a friend of mine was telling me about a program where I can get a free computer in my apartment for low income ppl like me. I have one 1 child @ I don’t make a lot of money at all. I am n need of an computer for my child he is autistic @ it will help me to get teaching aids to better assist him at home. Please help me n this matter…. GOD BLESS YOU ALL .. SINCERELY URS LASHONA LACY… CONTACT ME AT 662 374 ****

    Reply

    • You can quickly find out what kind of computers and services are availalbe in your zip code by visiting EveryoneOne.org.

      Reply

  2. I live in Boise idaho, I have food stamps and still cannot find a good price on internet. I can’t even afford TV let a lone Internet. Is there a deal for me?

    Reply

  3. I live in RI. In am disabled with a 9 year old. We are barely making it. I do not receive any child support from parents, they are both on SSI. I am only 59 soon to be 60 and will have to pay for medicare etc. I still have a mortgage. I live on 1797 a month and that is without medical payments soon…it will be two years in feb. I get 16 dollars in food stamps for my grandsonn and my mortgage is 800 a month. I still owe 72,000. I have internet in RI…it is awful, the price is almost 170 a month, that is internet and cable TV for my grandson. we have no extras. I have read about people who are disabled and on a fixed income who qualify for some assistance, different carrier, but not sure here in RI that is possible. if you do know, please help.

    Reply

  4. My daughter started high school and everything is online and after my divorce 2 years ago I don’t havetelevision, let alone internet but I need to figure out how to get it for her so she doesn’t fall behind cuz absolutely everything seems to be being done online now.
    Thank you

    Reply

  5. Hi my name, is, Audra and I live in, Jackson Michigan at Granada apartments. I, was, wondering about The internet cheap for low, income people
    I’m not sure, which one would, I use because the apartment doesn’t have Comcast they have, a, blossum broadband. Can you please tell me, what the low income internet would be for Granada, apartments. Please, and thank you

    Reply

    • No way for us to troubleshoot your home internet service, Gurmeet. There could be a thousand reasons your home internet isn’t working. Contact your service provider’s customer service or tech suppor team.

      Reply

  8. I want to thank Internet essential ‘s for making it possible for my children to be able to access the internet my 3 kids are in high school and I am a sigLe mother raising my kids with no help at all..you have made a huge impact on my life…

    Reply

  9. I would like some information. I have a 13 and 4 year old who are both on the school lunch program. Thank you.

    Reply

  10. I HAVE 13 YEAR OLD SON WHOM USE THE INTERNET FOR SCHOOL. I AM INTERESTED IN THE INTERNET ESSENTIALS PROGRAM 786-262-****

    Reply

  11. I cannot find internet service for low income where i live. AT&T provides every house around me and for some reason my house isnt equipped makes no sense. they said i cant even get a phone thru them yet my neighbors 100 ft away have wireless and the other neighbors too, and i cant afford dish or hughes satellite either, can you please help me ? I live in FOREST RANCH CA,95942

    Reply

  13. I have received my internet essential and do not know where I find the network passwored ?please contact to my email address.com

    Reply

    • We’re not Internet Essentials, Elsaid. This is an independent informational website. You need to contact Internet Essentials customer service.

      Reply

  14. I’m 66 this month, been on SSI for the last 7 yrs. I have RA arthritis was diagnosed with worst than severe RA. I haven’t been on my meds.for around 2 yrs. It cost $4,700.00 a month for my 2 shots plus a couple every prescription meds. Then I have 4 over the counter too. I had to quite working in 2012 because I couldn’t pay my deductible so I couldn’t keep working, then I couldn’t afford the cobra to so my comment husband put me on his job insurance coverage but then he was fired 11/2 yrs later. He has a bad habit of drinking & running around with other woman that likes to to do it too. So I but in for disability which came in 5 months late. So then I had to wait 2 yrs to get Medicare & another 2 yrs to be considered very low income, 135% below. So I was in progress of trying to find a insurance company to cover part D, prescription & have my $4,700.00 a month for my 2 shots at a discount that I could afford to buy pay out of $1,100. income. Well that wasn’t possible. So in a yr I finally was able for Medical & extra help on prescriptions. Then I broke my little born in my lower left leg right above my ankle. That took 3 months to get back on my feet & now it’s to get my information out, test for TB, blood work. So I have to be on the websites of M&M to keep paper work filled out. So all I can afford is my Internet on my phone which is only 5″. I have tried to afford Internet to be able to us my laptop but haven’t. So then I hear about this program, so please help me. I have worked 50 yrs doing payrolls for 2 Citrus Companies. I sure would appreciate it to be able to see what I’m doing. I also got to have a cataract taken off & update my presentation glasses. Thanks if you’ll can really help me. I didn’t plan all those yrs to end up like this. Patricia Selph, nickname Patsy

    Reply

    • Hi Patricia I completely understand how you feel for I’m disabled as well however much younger I know it’s a struggle to even live off of the low income Social Security and I do hope with the new programs available that this will be able to help you a little bit financially

      first I would need to figure out where you live to find out the cable provider for you

      Amazon is now offering Amazon Prime for low-income at a discounted price which includes their movies the TV that music as well as the Kindle library which is full of millions of books as well as groceries and Amazon Prime shipping and much more goodies I personally watch Amazon Prime and I do enjoy it thoroughly I just discovered that I have much more wide variety in my plan then what I even use currently

      There also is a low income program that allows you to get a desktop or a laptop for about 150 that also goes through Amazon Prime which is connected with Google and then there is another company as well I just read all this information currently to find out my financial situation of what’s available to me

      And also don’t forget that you may be eligible to receive a free government phone cell phone.

      I hope at the information that I shared with you is very helpful and most of all I hope financially that it helps just a bit cuz I know the $20 or $40 can make a huge difference within the month I understand pain wise prescription wise Financial wise how you film please take care

      Reply

  15. May I have a phone number for someone to contact you about internet essentials in Pittsburgh PA? I do information and referral for TRPIL and interested in this info.

    Reply

  16. How Or Can You Requalify For Connect To Compete Of youR 2 Years Is up In August and I need to make.sure that I have something for my kids. Any help.would be appericated. I just need to know process. Also would like to find out about the low.income computers for sale. Please let me know asap.

    Tami

    Reply

    • Connect2Compete is now part of EveryoneOn.org, Tami. Go to that website and you can find all the information you need by putting your zip code in the box and clicking on the “Find Offers” button.

      Reply

    • Amazon also has low income computers that are 150 also some companies just recertify your eligibility I would call customer service to reinsure that you’re reinstated for the following year depending on your cable company but also know with Amazon you can get Amazon Prime cable for only 1499 I believe so check into that for your kids and yourself

      Reply

  17. Most of these big Corporations don’t care about senior citizens they have to get their internet together with their cable TV or satellite package. All of the promises about low cost internet for seniors or low income households are just a bunch of talk.

    Reply

    • That’s not true, Jack. You happened to leave your message on the Internet Essentials page. This company is already serving millions of low-income Americans.

      Reply

    • That’s not the way it works, Elsaid. You must enroll with the company using the contact information we provide. Give it a try.

      Reply

  19. My daughter is in SCC online public school. We need Internet for her and me. I have someone that has put it in for her put they keep complain. I’m disable and get food stamps. Can you help?

    Reply

    • We’re not Internet Essentials, Barbara. We’re an independent informational website. There are a number of low-income internet plans available. You can find them all listed at the link below. And some of them do not require food stamps or any particular income level. Check them all out to find the one that works best for you:

      https://www.cheapinternet.com/low-income-internet

      Reply