The Post-ACP Landscape
If you have been searching for government help with your home internet bill, you have probably run into a lot of confusion. The Affordable Connectivity Program, which used to knock $30 or more off monthly broadband bills for qualifying households, stopped accepting new applications after June 2024. Congress did not renew its funding, and as of 2026, no nationwide replacement with the same benefit has been signed into law.
That does not mean help is gone. It just looks different now. A patchwork of federal, state, and provider-run programs still exists, and many families are leaving real savings on the table simply because they do not know where to look. In Texas alone, for example, the state's broadband office awarded over $1 billion in federal grants under the BEAD program to connect more than 240,000 locations, with construction expected to begin as early as summer 2026. Similar expansion efforts are underway in dozens of states.
Federal Programs That Are Still Active
Lifeline
Lifeline remains the most reliable federal option. Run by the FCC and administered through USAC, it offers a monthly discount applied to one phone or internet service per household. The basic support amount for internet service is $9.25 per month, with an enhanced benefit on Tribal lands.
Eligibility comes through either income or program participation:
- Household income at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines
- Participation in SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, or Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit
- On Tribal lands: Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, Tribal Head Start, and other tribally administered programs
For a one-person household in the 48 contiguous states, the income cutoff for 2026 sits around $21,500. A family of four can earn up to roughly $44,500 and still qualify. Only one Lifeline benefit is allowed per household, and you can apply online through the National Verifier at the USAC website or directly through a participating provider.
One important update: the FCC paused the phase-out of support for voice-only service through December 2026, so the basic $5.25 voice benefit remains available for now. Mobile broadband minimum standards also stay at 4.5 GB per month through the same date.
Provider Low-Income Plans
Alongside Lifeline, most major internet providers run their own affordability programs. These do not require going through a government application process, which makes them faster to set up. You usually just need to show participation in a qualifying program or meet an income threshold.
| Provider | Plan Name | Monthly Cost | Speed | Notable Details |
|---|
| Xfinity (Comcast) | Internet Essentials | $14.95 | Up to 75 Mbps | No credit check, no data caps, access to millions of WiFi hotspots |
| Xfinity (Comcast) | Internet Essentials Plus | $29.95 | Up to 100 Mbps | Higher speed tier for larger households |
| AT&T | Access from AT&T | $15 or less (NY) / around $30 | Up to 100 Mbps | No data caps; wireless Internet Air or Fiber options |
| Spectrum | Internet Assist | $24.99 | 50 Mbps | No contracts, free modem, no installation fee |
| Cox | ConnectAssist | $30 | Up to 100 Mbps | Available where Cox service is offered |
| Cox | Connect2Compete | $9.95 | Up to 100 Mbps | Designed for K-12 students in qualifying households |
| Frontier | Fiber 200 | $29.99 | 200 Mbps | Fiber connection in eligible areas |
| Starry | Starry Connect | $15 | 30 Mbps | No long-term contracts |
| Astound | 300 Mbps plan | $20 | 300 Mbps | Regional provider in select markets |
| Verizon | Verizon Forward | $20 | Varies | Check availability in your area |
Qualification for most of these plans mirrors federal assistance programs: SNAP, Medicaid, National School Lunch Program, housing assistance, SSI, and similar benefits all count. Xfinity's Internet Essentials, for instance, requires that you have not subscribed to Xfinity in the last 90 days and carry no outstanding debt to Comcast older than one year.
What About the Big Mobile Providers?
T-Mobile's Project 10Million program gives qualifying K-12 students 200 GB of high-speed data per year, renewable for up to five years. It is not home internet in the traditional sense, but it can keep a household connected when a wired connection is out of reach. Lifeline-participating mobile carriers like Assurance Wireless, SafeLink, TruConnect, and enTouch Wireless also offer discounted service that can be applied to mobile data plans, with data allowances varying by state.
State and Local Programs Worth Checking
Federal programs only tell part of the story. Several states run their own supplements on top of Lifeline, and local digital equity initiatives are expanding fast.
California is a strong example. The California LifeLine Program adds a state subsidy on top of the federal $9.25 benefit, and recent rule changes mean households enrolled in both programs can receive more than double the data, up to 12.5 GB, with some providers offering as much as 24.5 GB. The state also updated wireline subsidies to keep bundled voice-and-internet options affordable for roughly 1.46 million participating households.
Connecticut runs a state portal, Conéctate, that walks residents through low-cost internet options by ZIP code. The state also coordinates with schools through the Everybody Learns initiative, which has provided free home connectivity to families with school-age children. If you have kids in school, asking your district about similar arrangements is worth doing, since many districts quietly maintain connectivity programs that are not widely advertised.
For finding what is available where you live, the EveryoneOn tool and the Internet For All Now call center (833-938-3298) both help match households to low-cost plans in their ZIP code. State broadband offices, usually housed under the state comptroller or public utilities commission, publish their own lists of affordable offers and upcoming BEAD-funded expansion projects.
Building Your Own Affordability Plan
Here is a practical path that works regardless of which state you live in.
Start with Lifeline. Go to the USAC website, use the National Verifier to check eligibility, and have your SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, or housing assistance documentation ready. Even if you think you might not qualify, the verification process takes minutes and gives you a clear answer.
Stack provider plans. Once you have Lifeline approved, look for a provider that lets you combine the federal discount with their own low-income plan. The exact stacking rules differ by provider and state, so call the provider's dedicated assistance line and ask directly. The main providers publish these numbers on their affordability program pages.
Check school-based and nonprofit options. If you have children in public school, ask about district connectivity programs. Libraries in many states lend mobile hotspots and refurbished devices. Nonprofit programs like EveryoneOn and Human-I-T offer low-cost devices and help with digital skills training, which matters just as much as the connection itself.
Watch for BEAD-funded expansion. The federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program is funding infrastructure builds across all 50 states, with many projects breaking ground through 2026 and beyond. If you live in a rural or underserved area, your state broadband office's website will show whether your address is in a planned service area. Getting a connection through a new build can sometimes come with promotional pricing for early subscribers.
Be careful about scams. Since the ACP ended, a number of websites have popped up claiming the program is back or offering to check your "status." Official sources are the FCC, USAC, and your state broadband office. Never enter your Social Security number or benefit documents on an unfamiliar site.
Realistic Expectations
The honest picture in 2026 is that help exists, but it requires more legwork than it did during the ACP years. Lifeline still delivers a solid monthly discount, provider plans like Internet Essentials and Access from AT&T keep monthly costs in the $10 to $30 range, and state supplements in places like California and Connecticut add meaningful data and savings. Rural households waiting on BEAD-funded builds may need patience, but construction timelines are finally moving.
The families who do best with this system tend to be the ones who combine multiple resources: a Lifeline discount, a provider low-income plan, a school program, and a local nonprofit for device support. No single program replaces what the ACP offered, but together they cover most of the gap.
Start with the Lifeline eligibility check today. It is free, takes about ten minutes, and tells you immediately whether the most widely available federal benefit applies to your household. From there, every other door opens faster.
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