Priorities

Digital Access National Programs

Broadband Advocacy

 

The lists below include some options available to families for discounted home internet access to support student learning opportunities.

Federal Communications CommissionChairman Pai Launches the KEEP AMERICANS CONNECTED PLEDGE – Pai Calls on Broadband and Telephone Service Providers to Promote Connectivity for Americans Impacted by the Disruptions Caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic. Chairman calls on company to pledge the following:

  • not terminate service to any residential or small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic;
  • waive any late fees that any residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic; and
  • open its Wi-Fi hotspots to any American who needs them.

Corporate Initiatives

  • Update to AT&T Keep Americans Connected Pledge
    Consistent with FCC Chairman Pai’s “Keep Americans Connected Pledge,” AT&T will continue to support our customers. Through June 30, 2020, for residential or small business customers who notify us that they are unable to pay their bills due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, we will:

    • Not terminate any postpaid wireless, home phone or broadband residential or small business account.
    • Waive any late payment fees for postpaid wireless, home phone or broadband residential or small business, U-verse TV or DIRECTV customer.
    • Waive domestic postpaid wireless plan overage charges for data, voice or text for residential or small business wireless customers.
    • Keep our public Wi-Fi hotspots open for anyone who needs them.
  • Access from AT&T, AT&T offers low-cost wired home internet service to qualifying residents who participate in SNAP. Service options range from $5 – $10 per month.
    • COVID-19 Special Offering: AT&T said its waiving of usage policies applies to both its Internet wireline and fixed wireless Internet customers. The telco is also offering Cisco Webex Meetings for 90 days to businesses, universities and schools, and is crediting wireless customers for charges incurred while in CDC Level-3 countries where AT&T offers service.
  • Charter Communications:
  • Comcast:
    • COVID-19 Special Offering: New policies for the next 60 days (For more information and updates from Comcast related to Coronavirus, visit: http://www.comcastcorporation.com/COVID-19/)
      • Xfinity WiFi Free For Everyone
      • Pausing Our Data Plan
      • No Disconnects or Late Fees
      • Internet Essentials Free to New Customers
      • News, Information and Educational Content on X1 and Flex
      • 24×7 Network Monitoring
  • Cox Communications, Connect to Compete, provides home internet for $9.95/month for families that have a K-12 student and receive government assistance.
    • COVID-19 Special Offering: Cox is offering to fast-track the qualification process for Connect2Compete.  Schools are being asked to contact [email protected] with a list of eligible low-income students that currently do not have an internet connection.  Cox will assist in getting students qualified quickly so they can continue learning from home. Cox has also partnered with PCs for People where families can purchase discounted refurbished computers: https://cox.pcsrefurbished.com/. Also:
      • Not terminate service to any residential or small business customer because of an inability to pay their bills due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
      • Waive any late fees that residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic.
      • Open Cox Wifi hotspots to help keep the public connected in this time of need.
  • CenturyLink. Discounted Home internet service for $9.95/month.
  • Internet Essentials from Comcast. Comcast offers internet service for $9.95/month to households that have at least one child who qualifies for the National School Lunch Program.
  • Kajeet. Kajeet SmartSpots allow educators to provide students CIPA-compliant, 4G-LTE internet access outside the classroom so they can complete their required assignments and homework. Kajeet also offers SmartBus, Wi-Fi internet access on the bus. In 2019, Kajeet launched the #ConnectEdNow campaign as a carrier-agnostic nationwide campaign in partnership with districts and states to connect all students caught in the Homework Gap.
  • Lifeline. The FCC’s Lifeline program provides millions of families with discounted monthly telephone service. On March 31, 2016, the FCC voted to modernize the program to include broadband access. For the first time, Lifeline will support stand-alone broadband service as well as bundled voice and data service packages to help provide low-income Americans with access. In addition, for the first time, Lifeline has an option to purchase for an entire building. Plus, the FCC is developing a Digital Inclusion Plan.
  • Microsoft Airband Initiative TheMicrosoft Airband Initiative, they have established partnerships in 16 states that will bring broadband connectivity to more than 1 million rural residents who currently lack access. Through these partnerships, they have demonstrated that fixed wireless technologies including TV white spaces technologies, alongside traditional fiber optic and satellite coverage, can be the most cost-effective way to expand broadband availability in rural communities.
  • Mobile Beacon. Mobile Beacon provides 4G LTE internet service, technology grants, and device donation programs to schools, libraries, and nonprofits. By significantly lowering the cost of mobile broadband access (currently at $10/month for unlimited data), schools and other anchor institutions have been able to create hotspot lending programs, deploy WiFi on school buses, and enable anytime/anywhere access with uncapped data plans to support learning on and off-campus.
    • COVID-19 Special Offering: $10/month unlimited data mobile broadband service deployed through hotspot devices to support students’ access off the school campus. A free content filtering tool is available upon request for customers. Additional information can be found under the FAQ section of our website.
  • Spectrum Internet Assist. Qualified households can receive high-speed 30 Mbps Internet with no data caps and in-home Wi-Fi for an additional $5 per month. A member of the household must be a recipient of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or  Supplemental Security Income ( ≥ age 65 only).
  • Sprint 1 Million Project. The project aims to help 1 million high school students who do not have reliable Internet access at home by giving them mobile devices and free high-speed Internet access.
  • T-Mobile -The EmpowerED 2.0 program aims to narrow America’s digital divide by providing wireless devices and service plans to eligible schools and their students.

Non-Profit Organizations

  • Connected Nation provides resources to help states and communities create and implement solutions to their broadband and digital technology gaps. Connected Nation develops public-private partnerships to bring technology access to targeted geographies and populations.
  • EveryoneOn helps bring low-cost internet service and affordable devices to those who need it. EveryoneOn works with a wide range of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and device providers to feature their low-cost solutions on our platform. List of ISP Partners.
  • National Collaborative for Digital Equity (NCDE) works to eliminate the digital divide as a barrier to economic and educational opportunity. Specifically, they work to assist learners to develop the skills for lifelong learning and living wage career opportunity by supporting the use of Community Reinvestment Act funding for digital equity.
  • SHLB works to ensure that every community has affordable, high-capacity broadband connectivity to the internet through its community anchor institutions (CAIs). The ABC program recommends policy measures to encourage all broadband providers to deploy fiber and wireless broadband networks efficiently and to make those services available to the public at affordable prices through community anchor institutions.
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