Who Is This Page For?
Prior to ACP, few low-cost internet plans existed. During the program and since its end, more providers have introduced plans. However, the plans vary significantly in their costs, eligibility requirements, and quality. This page is designed to support NDIA affiliates, digital inclusion practitioners, and advocates in reviewing and comparing low-cost internet plans to support their clients and communities. The compiled list is primarily national, with some local ISPs included. As such, the list may not reflect a comprehensive list of providers or plans available at any one address.
We encourage individual consumers looking for low-cost internet to use EveryoneOn or the Universal Service Administrative Co. (USAC) page to find specific offers in your area.
Instructions for Using this Table:
•The “Customer Alert” section provides information NDIA found upon researching the plans and calling customer service about them that consumers and digital inclusion practioners should know.
•Click on the “+” symbol next to the provider’s name on the left-hand side to expand more information
•Click on the plan’s name to view the individual plan
•Click on the Good, Better or Best rating to navigate to the completed GIG scoring rubric for an individual plan
Table Categories
•Speed (Download/Upload) – The speeds listed for each plan are the fastest speeds advertised for that plan. Actual speeds may vary depending on the type of service available in a given area, along with a range of other factors, some of which can be controlled by the provider and some of which cannot.
•Technology Type – This is the general type(s) of the service’s broadband technology. Where more than one type of service is listed, the provider generally offers service through the best technology (e.g. fiber) where it is available and through another technology (e.g. cable or DSL) where it is not.
•Additional Taxes & Fees – Additional taxes and fees include any costs beyond a plan’s monthly subscription cost. These could include one-time costs like installation fees or recurring costs, such as taxes and monthly equipment rentals. While NDIA makes an effort to document all additional costs, it is possible that some costs may not be readily apparent on a provider’s website.
•Service Area – Service area mapping is shown for each provider and is not plan-specific, and some plans are not offered across a provider’s entire service area. Broadband Now shows general service areas with consistent mapping across all providers. Users should contact providers directly for specific availability for each plan, using the links provided in the “Plan” field.
•Eligibility Criteria – Eligibility criteria are based on NDIA’s Low-Cost Plans Model
Cost of Service
Sixty-two percent of US households making $50,000 or less say they can only afford an internet bill of $25 or less. As such, NDIA recommends the following for the price of plans:
•$30 per month or less
•$75 for Tribal households (inclusive of all taxes, fees, and charges),
•No additional non-recurring costs or fees.
A Note: Rural communities pay more for home broadband than urban areas. On average, areas with lower population density pay 37 percent more than urban areas. NDIA recognizes rural and small business ISPs face unique challenges and may not be able to offer low-cost plans in this range without a subsidy.
Explore NDIA GIG
NDIA developed Grading Internet for Good (NDIA GIG), a low-cost internet ratings system to evaluate the affordability and quality of low-cost internet plans.
This rating system reflects lessons learned from ACP that contributed to the program’s success, along with consultation with NDIA Affiliates.
The rating criteria include cost, speed, data caps, latency, throttling, eligibility criteria, and technology type, and eliminating barriers for those who qualify.
See NDIA GIG’s webpage for more information on the rating and how the plans are scored.
Low Cost Plan Model
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, a few Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offered “low-cost plans” for low-income households. However, the plans varied widely in their offerings, administration, and eligibility requirements.
We spoke with NDIA affiliates to understand their suggestions for a low-cost internet plan model, and based on their feedback, we created a Low-Cost Plan Model. With the end to ACP, NDIA urges providers to offer this Low-Cost Plan Model to qualifying households.
Inclusion
Standards
Low-Cost offers must meet the following minimum standards to be included on this page:
Speed: While the federal definition for “broadband internet” is now 100Mbps download/20Mbps upload, plans with speeds at or above the threshold of 25Mbps download/3Mbps upload are included on this page
Cost: Maximum monthly subscription cost for any plan will not be greater than $30/month. Limited-time and promotional offers will not be included.
Data Caps: Plans included on this page have no data caps or the data cap is at or above 1TB
Updates and Adding More Offers
We regularly review and update this page. As part of this process, we reach out to ISPs by phone and research offers on their website. We ask about monthly costs (including taxes and fees) and several other details.
We have consistently heard misleading information from some providers about plan costs, eligibility requirements, and plan availability.
To suggest additional content, email [email protected]. Additional plans should adhere to the Honor Roll of Low-Cost Internet Plans page inclusion standards above.
