Low-Income Internet 2026: Real Plans That Still Exist

Quick answer: The Affordable Connectivity Program ended in 2024 — any page telling you to "apply for the $30 ACP credit" is out of date. In 2026, low-income households have three real paths: provider low-cost programs from Spectrum, Xfinity, Cox, and AT&T (verified June 9–10, 2026 at $9.95–$30/mo), the FCC's Lifeline discount of up to $9.25/month (up to $34.25 on Tribal lands) for households on SNAP, Medicaid, or SSI,^[1] and genuinely cheap standard plans, which now start at $30/mo for 100 Mbps from Spectrum as of June 2026. Here's who qualifies for what.

How we evaluate providers: Program details and prices verified on June 9–10, 2026 against official provider program pages, official Cox program PDFs, and USAC's Lifeline site (sources cited below), plus KonectEaze's live provider listings for standard plans; AT&T fiber pricing was re-verified directly against att.com on June 10, 2026, following AT&T's June 7 lineup refresh. The federal ACP subsidy ended in 2024; this guide covers only programs active in 2026. See our full methodology.

What replaced ACP? The real 2026 landscape

Nothing replaced it — that's the part most of the internet won't say plainly. The Affordable Connectivity Program gave more than 20 million households up to $30 off their bill until Congress let funding lapse in 2024. No successor program has been enacted as of June 2026.

What's left is older and smaller, but real: the providers' own low-cost programs, which existed before ACP and survived it, and Lifeline, the FCC subsidy that has run since 1985. The practical difference: ACP stacked on top of any plan; today's options are specific cheap plans you must qualify for, one provider at a time. That makes your provider footprint — who actually serves your address — the first question, not the last.

Low-income internet programs by provider

Every price and status below was confirmed against an official provider source on June 9–10, 2026. Program prices in this category change quietly and competitor articles copy each other's stale numbers for years — that's why each row carries a citation.

Program	Provider	Price	Speed	Who typically qualifies	Status (verified 6/9–6/10/26)
Internet Assist	Spectrum	$25/mo^[2]	50 Mbps	NSLP (incl. Community Eligibility Provision), SSI (age 65+)	Active
Internet Essentials / Plus	Xfinity	$14.95/mo · Plus $29.95/mo^[3]	75/10 Mbps · Plus up to 100/20 Mbps	SNAP, Medicaid, NSLP, housing assistance, other programs	Active
Connect2Compete · ConnectAssist	Cox	$9.95/mo · $30/mo^[4]	up to 100 Mbps (both)	C2C: families with K–12 students on NSLP/SNAP/TANF · ConnectAssist: Pell, Lifeline, Medicaid/SNAP, SSI, veterans benefits, or qualifying income	Active
Access from AT&T	AT&T	Up to $30/mo — AT&T prices by address^[5]	up to 100 Mbps, unlimited data	SNAP; SSI (California); NSLP; income below 200% of federal poverty guidelines	Active — expanded Apr 2026

Spectrum Internet Assist

Spectrum's low-cost program is active in 2026 at $25/month for 50 Mbps — and in New York State, Spectrum offers the plan at $15/month to comply with New York's Affordable Broadband Act (qualify through SNAP, Medicaid, or household income below 185% of the federal poverty level).^[2] Eligibility runs through the National School Lunch Program (including the Community Eligibility Provision) or SSI for applicants 65 and older. Apply online or at 1-888-692-8635; approval takes about a week, and installation is free. Even if you don't qualify, Spectrum is the budget anchor of this guide: its standard entry tier lists at $30/mo for 100 Mbps as of June 2026, with no data caps, no annual contract, and the modem included — three line items that quietly drain tight budgets elsewhere. Check availability on our Spectrum page.

Xfinity Internet Essentials

Internet Essentials is the longest-running program in this space: $14.95/month for 75 Mbps down / 10 Mbps up, with an Internet Essentials Plus tier at $29.95/month for up to 100/20 Mbps.^[3] Both include a free Wi-Fi gateway, unlimited data, no credit check, no contract, and no activation or rental fees; qualifying households can also buy a discounted laptop ($149.99). Eligibility runs through NSLP, housing assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, and other assistance programs. A practical bonus: Xfinity customers get access to one of the largest Wi-Fi hotspot networks in the country, which stretches a single subscription across more of daily life. Xfinity's standard entry tier lists at $40/mo for 300 Mbps as of June 2026 — see our Xfinity page. If you qualify for both Spectrum's and Xfinity's programs, our Spectrum vs Xfinity comparison covers how the networks differ where footprints meet.

Cox Connect2Compete and ConnectAssist

Cox runs two programs, and the second is the one most articles miss.^[4] Connect2Compete is $9.95/month for up to 100 Mbps — the lowest verified price in this guide — for families with K–12 children receiving NSLP, SNAP, and/or TANF benefits (housing-assistance routes also qualify); no annual contract, no deposit, free standard installation, free WiFi modem rental. ConnectAssist is $30/month for up to 100 Mbps with a price guarantee at that rate, and it requires no K–12 child: Federal Pell Grant recipients, Federal Lifeline participants, Medicaid or SNAP households, SSI recipients, veterans on pension benefits, and households under Cox's income thresholds all qualify — no credit check, no deposit, no contract, no late fees, free modem rental. Cox serves 18 states and about 1,540 ZIP codes; its standard plans list from $55/mo (300 Mbps) as of June 2026, which makes these programs especially significant in Cox markets. Availability check on our Cox page.

Access from AT&T

Access from AT&T turned ten in 2026 and was expanded, not ended: the main plan is up to $30/month for speeds up to 100 Mbps with unlimited data — AT&T now says the exact price and speed depend on what's available at your address, with slower-speed addresses paying less — and, new as of April 27, 2026, eligible customers get $25/month off AT&T Internet Air, AT&T's fixed-wireless home service.^[5] The Wi-Fi gateway and installation come at no charge. Eligibility: SNAP, SSI (California residents), NSLP, or household income below 200% of federal poverty guidelines — the program now cites 18 federal need-based programs. AT&T refreshed its fiber lineup on June 7, 2026: the standard entry tier, AT&T Fiber 300, lists at $60/mo — $50/mo with AutoPay and paperless billing, and $35/mo for the first 12 months for new customers in limited areas — for 300 Mbps symmetrical as of June 10, 2026, with no annual contract, no data caps, and no gateway fees. If you're weighing AT&T against Spectrum where both serve you, see AT&T vs Spectrum.

Lifeline: the federal discount that still exists

Lifeline is the subsidy that survived. It discounts phone, internet, or bundled service for qualifying households by up to $9.25/month — up to $34.25/month on Tribal lands (USAC, verified June 9, 2026).^[1]

You generally qualify if your household income is at or below 135% of federal poverty guidelines, or if you participate in SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, or Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit programs. Apply through the National Verifier at lifelinesupport.org (or getinternet.gov, or by phone at 800-234-9473; Oregon and Texas residents apply through their state systems), then enroll through a participating provider. One discount per household. Whether the Lifeline discount can be applied on top of a specific provider low-cost plan depends on that provider's Lifeline participation in your state — ask the provider directly when you apply; there is no blanket yes.

Qualifying with SNAP, Medicaid, or SSI

If your household receives any of these three, you're in the strongest position this market offers — they're the common keys across nearly every door (program criteria verified June 9, 2026):

SNAP (food stamps): qualifies you for Lifeline, Xfinity Internet Essentials, Cox ConnectAssist (and Connect2Compete with a K–12 child), and Access from AT&T
Medicaid: qualifies for Lifeline, Xfinity Internet Essentials, and Cox ConnectAssist
SSI: qualifies for Lifeline, Spectrum Internet Assist (age 65+), Cox ConnectAssist, and Access from AT&T (California residents)

The application path that wastes the least time: confirm which providers serve your address first (one ZIP-code check), then apply only to the program you can actually use.

Genuinely free options — without the fake promises

Free home internet with no strings is essentially extinct in 2026, and pages promising it are usually harvesting your contact info. What's genuinely free:

Public libraries — free Wi-Fi nearly everywhere, and many systems (Boston Public Library and Cuyahoga County among them) lend mobile hotspots for home use, free, like books — though some libraries are winding lending down in 2026 as federal funding lapses, so check your local branch
Schools and community centers — many districts still run connectivity programs for enrolled students
Nonprofits like human-I-T and PCs for People, which provide low-cost devices and connectivity to qualifying households
Xfinity hotspots — free periodically during emergencies, and included for subscribers

These are bridges, not solutions. A library hotspot gets you through a job search; it won't carry a household indefinitely.

Cheapest standard plans if you don't qualify

No program? The floor is lower than most people think. Live listings as of June 2026:

Provider	Cheapest listed plan	Speed	Notes
Spectrum	$30.00/mo	100 Mbps	No data caps, no annual contract, modem included
Xfinity	$40.00/mo	300 Mbps	Hotspot network access included
AT&T	$60.00/mo ($50.00 with AutoPay + paperless billing)	300 Mbps fiber	Symmetrical upload; no contract, no data caps, gateway included; $35/mo first-year promo in limited areas
Cox	$55.00/mo	300 Mbps	Cox markets only

Spectrum's $30 tier is the standout for a tight budget: 100 Mbps streams, video-calls, and does homework fine for a small household, and the included modem and absent contract mean the listed price is closer to the real price than usual.

Find low-cost internet in your city

Program availability follows provider footprints, so start local. In San Antonio, Spectrum's footprint covers most of the metro alongside AT&T Fiber. El Paso has its own provider mix where the same one-ZIP-code check applies. In New Orleans, Cox is the dominant cable provider, making Connect2Compete and ConnectAssist the programs to ask about first.

FAQ

How can I get free internet? Library Wi-Fi and hotspot lending, school and community programs, and the Lifeline discount (up to $9.25/month) are the real options in 2026. ACP-style free home plans ended in 2024.

How can I get free WiFi? Public libraries first — free Wi-Fi nearly universally, free hotspot lending in many systems. Community centers and Xfinity's hotspot network (for subscribers) round it out.

Can you combine Lifeline with a provider low-income program? It depends on the provider's Lifeline participation in your state — there is no blanket answer. Ask the provider directly when you apply. (Cox's listing of Lifeline as a ConnectAssist eligibility route is a way to qualify, not an extra bill discount.)

How much does WiFi cost? Your plan price plus equipment. Spectrum's $30/mo tier includes the modem, making it the cleanest budget number we track.

Can I get a free hotspot? Often, yes — through library lending programs and some nonprofits. Check your local library system first.

How much does internet cost with a low-income program? Verified June 9–10, 2026: Cox Connect2Compete $9.95/mo, Xfinity Internet Essentials $14.95/mo (Plus $29.95), Spectrum Internet Assist $25/mo ($15 in New York), Cox ConnectAssist $30/mo, and Access from AT&T up to $30/mo depending on address.

Check which providers — and which programs — serve your address: Spectrum, Xfinity, Cox, or AT&T. Program facts verified against the official sources below on June 9–10, 2026; standard-plan prices verified against KonectEaze provider listings the same day, with AT&T fiber pricing re-verified directly against att.com on June 10, 2026, following AT&T's June 7 lineup refresh.

Written by George Olfson, Editor-in-Chief at KonectEaze.

Sources

Federal Lifeline — "a monthly discount of up to $9.25 on phone, internet, or bundled service"; "up to $34.25" on Tribal lands; eligibility via SNAP, Medicaid, other federal assistance, or qualifying income; apply at lifelinesupport.org / getinternet.gov or (800) 234-9473. Source: https://www.lifelinesupport.org/ (USAC official site, direct fetch, accessed 2026-06-09). ↩
Spectrum Internet Assist — $25/mo, 50 Mbps, active 2026; eligibility NSLP / Community Eligibility Provision / SSI (65+); apply online or 1-888-692-8635, ~1-week approval, free installation; "some families may qualify for an additional discount, bringing the total monthly cost to $15/mo." Sources: https://www.spectrum.com/internet/spectrum-internet-assist, https://www.spectrum.com/internet/spectrum-internet-assist-discount, and https://www.spectrum.com/resources/internet-wifi/about-spectrum-internet-assist (official pages via search snippets — spectrum.com timed out on direct fetch; accessed 2026-06-09). ↩
Xfinity Internet Essentials — $14.95/mo, 75/10 Mbps; Internet Essentials Plus $29.95/mo, up to 100/20 Mbps; free gateway, unlimited data, no credit check, no contract, no activation/rental fees; $149.99 discounted laptop offer; eligibility NSLP, housing assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, and other assistance programs. Source: https://www.xfinity.com/learn/internet-service/internet-essentials (official page via search snippets — page returns 403 to automated fetch; corroborated by three independent trackers; accessed 2026-06-09). ↩
Cox Connect2Compete — $9.95/mo; speed up to 100 Mbps per Cox newsroom (speeds doubled from 50 to 100 Mbps effective 2022-03-31: https://newsroom.cox.com/2022-03-16-Cox-Enhances-Broadband-Affordability-Program-with-Increased-Speeds-and-Expanded-Eligibility); eligibility and terms verbatim from official Cox door-hanger PDF: https://webcdn.cox.com/content/dam/cox/residential/flex/documents/connect2compete/partner-toolkit-carousel/english-collateral-materials/Cox-Connect2Compete-Door%20Hanger-ENG.pdf. Cox ConnectAssist — $30/mo price-guaranteed, up to 100 Mbps, no credit check/deposit/contract/late fees; eligibility incl. Pell Grant, Federal Lifeline, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Medicaid or SNAP, Veterans Pension & Survivors Benefits, SSI, or qualifying income; official Cox flyer PDF (© 2024): https://www.cox.com/content/dam/cox/residential/flex/documents/connect-assist/cox-ConnectAssist-flyer.pdf. All accessed 2026-06-09. ↩
Access from AT&T — $30/mo, up to 100 Mbps, unlimited data; $15/mo where max available speed is under 50 Mbps (1.5 TB cap, overages apply); $25/mo off AT&T Internet Air added to the program 2026-04-27; gateway and installation at no charge; eligibility SNAP, SSI (California residents), NSLP, or income below 200% of federal poverty guidelines. Sources: https://www.att.com/internet/access/ (official page via search snippets — att.com 403s to automated fetch) and https://about.att.com/story/2026/access-aia-discount.html ("Access from AT&T Turns 10 and Extends Savings to All Home Internet"); accessed 2026-06-09. ↩