To help millions of households navigate and evaluate low-cost internet plans, NDIA created a new rating system to evaluate a plan’s affordability and quality. NDIA GIG (Grading Internet for Good) reflects lessons from ACP that contributed to the program’s success and evaluates plans on cost, transparency, speed, performance, and eligibility criteria.
We’ve also updated our Honor Roll of Low-Cost Internet Plans page to reflect the current offerings from 10 ISPs. The page displays basic information about each plan, including its GIG rating. We review low-cost plans from the following providers: AT&T Access, Comcast Internet Essentials, Cox Connect2Compete, Digital C Canopy, Human-I-T, Optimum Advantage, PCs for People, Spectrum, Verizon, and Xtream. NDIA will evaluate many more plans as they become available in the coming weeks and months.
- NDIA GIG assigns plans a “Good,” “Better,” or “Best” score, which incorporates considerations of cost, eligibility criteria, speed, data caps, latency, throttling, pricing transparency, and technology type, with a focus on eliminating barriers for those who qualify.
- There are 18 possible points. Plans rated between 1 and 8 points receive a “Good” rating, plans rated between 9 and 12 points receive a “Better” rating, and plans rated between 13 and 18 points receive the “Best” rating.
- Many of the plans NDIA reviewed are rated in the “Good” and “Better” categories, which shows there is a significant way to go to ensure these low-cost plans meet consumers’ needs.
- The rating system sets a standard for ISPs and encourages them to improve affordable internet plans. It also serves as a resource for digital inclusion organizations and practitioners, digital navigators, and public interest organizations.
- The rating system encourages ISPs to leverage broadband consumer labels to provide pricing transparency by making the Broadband Label easily accessible on the same webpage as the internet plan details. Comcast Internet Essentials and Internet Essentials Plus display the Broadband Label without the consumer having to provide personal information, such as their address.
NDIA’s Honor Roll of Low-Cost Internet Plans page displays low-cost plans and their GIG Score. You can also visit the NDIA GIG page to learn more about GIG and the rubric’s criteria.