Internet Essentials from Xfinity by Comcast.
If you need internet at home and the regular Xfinity prices are more than you can manage, Comcast runs a discount program called Internet Essentials. It is real Xfinity service, on the same network and with the same equipment, sold at a much lower set price to households that qualify through their income or through a government assistance program.
This page lays out what the plan includes, the two ways to qualify, what the application asks for, and a backup option through Xfinity if it turns out you do not qualify. There is no credit check, no contract, and no charge for the equipment. That matters if a credit score or an old unpaid bill has kept you from signing up for internet before.
What the plan includes
Internet Essentials comes in two versions. The standard version is the least expensive home internet plan Xfinity sells, and the speed is enough for schoolwork, job applications, video calls, and streaming on a couple of devices at once. The Plus version costs more each month and runs faster, for households where several people are online at the same time. Comcast lists the current prices and speeds for both on the program's site, and neither version starts with a low introductory rate that later jumps, which is how regular plans usually work.
Both versions include the Wi-Fi gateway with no monthly equipment fee, no activation charge, no credit check, and no contract to sign. You also get free use of Xfinity's public Wi-Fi hotspots when you are away from home.
Once you are enrolled, the program lets you buy a new basic laptop, a Dell or a Chromebook, for a low set price, and Comcast runs free online lessons for people who are new to using the internet. If a computer is the bigger problem in your house, the options for free laptops and desktop computers page on this site covers more ways to get one.
The two ways to qualify
You need to live somewhere Xfinity offers service, and then there are two ways to qualify. The first is being enrolled in a government assistance program. The list includes SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, TANF, LIHEAP, housing assistance, Head Start, the National School Lunch Program, Tribal assistance programs, and others. The second is a household income under the program's limit, which depends on how many people live with you. Either one works, and the application checks both.
If a child in your home gets free or reduced price school lunches, that alone can qualify the whole household. And if a student's internet is the real reason you are looking, the guide to free internet options for students covers school and college options beyond this one.
Comcast also has two rules that can block an application. You cannot currently have Xfinity internet or have had it within the past 90 days, and you cannot owe Comcast money on a bill that is less than a year old. Debt older than a year does not count against you. Comcast adjusts these rules from time to time, so if you are close on either one, apply anyway and let the application tell you where you stand.
New York residents have a few extra ways to qualify under that state's affordable broadband law, and the application covers those situations too.
How the application works
You apply on the official Internet Essentials at https://www.xfinity.com/learn/internet-service/internet-essentials or by calling 1-855-846-8376, and a Spanish version of the application is available. Expect to prove that you qualify. A photo of a benefits letter, a Medicaid card, school lunch paperwork, or recent pay stubs can be uploaded straight from your phone, and Comcast usually sends a decision within a few business days.
If you are approved, the equipment kit either ships to you free or waits at an Xfinity store for pickup, and you plug it in yourself. Homes that need a technician get professional installation at no charge. Comcast may ask you to prove you still qualify once a year, so hold on to whatever benefits paperwork you used.
The application is free from start to finish, and Comcast never asks for a payment to process one. A website that charges a fee to sign you up for discounted or government internet is not connected to this program. Go through Xfinity's own site or phone number only.
If you do not qualify
Xfinity sells a second budget option with no income test at all. NOW Internet (website: https://www.xfinity.com/now/internet) is the company's prepaid service: you pay for a month at a time, there is no credit check, no contract, and no deposit, the equipment is included, and taxes and fees are built into the flat price. You can pause the service any month you cannot pay and pick it back up later. It costs more than Internet Essentials and less than the company's regular plans, and nobody reviews your finances to get it.
And if Xfinity does not serve your address, or neither plan fits, the free internet access and low-income access guide covers the Lifeline discount, other companies' low-income plans, and free ways to get online such as borrowing a hotspot from the library.
Internet Essentials and NOW Internet are Comcast programs, and the company sets and changes the prices, speeds, and rules on its own schedule. Confirm the current terms on Xfinity's site or by phone before you apply.
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