Optimum Internet Plans For Senior Citizens

Free Internet For Low

Many low-income internet programs focus on connecting students to valuable online resources, so they require that you have a school-age child at home.

If you dont have any school-age children, there are other ways to qualify for low-income internet service. Anyone with Supplemental Security Income can qualify for Spectrum Internet Assist and Internet Essentials from Comcast.

Best Internet Deals For Seniors

If you’re a retiree looking for discounted broadband options, we can help. Here’s what you need to know about low-cost internet service for seniors.

Trey Paul

Senior Editor

Trey Paul is a CNET senior editor covering broadband. His 20+ years of experience as a writer and editor include time at CNET’s sister site, Allconnect, and working with clients like Yahoo!, Google, The New York Times and Choice Hotels. An avid movie fan, Trey’s career also includes being a film critic while obtaining his Master’s in Cinema Studies from NYU.

According to surveys taken by the Pew Research Center, 75% of adults ages 65 and over use the internet, and 64% use their home broadband connection to do so. These numbers have been rising steadily over the past decade, and they’ve become even more pronounced over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. I think all of us have increased our use of FaceTime, Zoom and other video-chat tools.

The need to be online is acute, but too often, the price for being connected can be steep. That’s an amplified problem if you’re a retiree on a fixed income. How can you find cheap internet for seniors? I’m glad you asked. Here are a few ideas.

Best Internet Providers For Seniors In 2021

Using the metrics listed above, weve narrowed down the best five internet providers for seniors. Whether youre living on a fixed income, in a rural setting or looking for a contract-free provider, weve done the heavy lifting so you can easily select the provider that fits your needs.

*Must enroll in paperless billing to receive this price.

AT& T Internet Best Low-Cost Internet Provider

Optimum by Altice Best No-Contract Internet Provider

HughesNet Best Rural Internet Provider

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Tips For Using The Internet For Seniors

Though the internet is a wonderful tool for seniors, its important to know how to use it. Seniors are especially vulnerable to scams. For this reason, its essential for every senior to know the basics of internet security. Here are some tips to get your loved one started:

• Secure your phone, computer and internet with unique passwords.
• Dont open emails with too-good-to-be-true headlines
• Browse on secure, verified sites only .
• Dont enter private or payment details unless youve verified the site.
• Dont download unknown attachments and software.
• Check your privacy settings on social media.
• Use a credit card when doing any online shopping.
• Dont send money online. If you receive an emergency message from someone, call them to verify the situation first. If you want to donate, reach out to the organization first.
• Read about common scams to avoid them happening to you.

These are just a handful of the most important tips for staying safe on the internet. If youre worried about your loved ones safety online, you might also help them set-up anti-virus and privacy controls beforehand.

Do You Qualify For Acp

A household is eligible for ACP if one member of the household meets any of the following criteria:

• Has an income that is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines or
• Participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC, or Lifeline
• Participates in Tribal specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
• Is approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision in the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, or 2021-2022 school year
• Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year or
• Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income program.

The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household. For more information, visit the Federal Communications Commissions website. You can also learn more on AARP.org.

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Use Your Own Equipment

Some providers require customers to use their equipment for services, however, there are also plenty who dont. Try finding a provider that allows you to use your own compatible equipment and waive the monthly rental fee. While youll pay a higher initial cost to purchase an affordable router outright, you will save money in the long run.

Potential Savings: $5-$15 per month

You Can Join The Verizon Up Rewards Program

If you are already a Verizon customer and you are in good standing, you can join the Verizon FiOS Rewards program. This is a program that is catered towards any Verizon FiOS customer. All you need to do is download the My Verizon app on either Android or iOS. It is completely free to enroll in and all FiOS customers will be eligible for receiving $10 in Device Rewards each month. These rewards can accumulate and be used towards the purchase of a new device sold by Verizon. And dont forget that with the bundled deals offered by Fios you get a $200 Visa Gift Card cashback

Joining the loyalty program is the best way to stay up-to-date on the latest deals available at Verizon. They do not have an email program. Therefore, you should join My Verizon to get every coupon, promotion code, and online discount available.

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How To Make An Electronic Signature For Signing The Cable Vision Senior Discount Program Form In Gmail

Below are five simple steps to get your cable vision senior discount program form designed without leaving your Gmail account:

The signNow extension was developed to help busy people like you to reduce the burden of putting your signature on papers. Begin signing cable vision senior discount program form by means of tool and become one of the millions of satisfied users whove previously experienced the benefits of in-mail signing.

How We Chose Our Top List

Theres a lot of internet carriers out there! We selected seven of the top internet providers on the market and compared costs, customer satisfaction, internet speed, and plan options. From there, we narrowed our list down to the best of the best. Read on for the top five providers that offer the best internet service for seniors.

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Internet Essentials From Comcast

If you live in an Xfinity area, you have access to the low-income program Internet Essentials from Comcast. Eligible households get 50 Mbps download speeds with free in-home Wi-Fi for $9.95 per month . Youll also have access to Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots and get the option to purchase a low-cost computer.

To qualify for Internet Essentials, someone in your household must participate in one of the following programs: NSLP, HUD, veteran government assistance, senior government assistance, or Pell Grant. Head over to InternetEssentials.com to apply.

Discounted Internet For Low

In addition to the plans listed above, there is also a discounted option called Optimum Advantage Internet for select groups. This plan costs just $14.99/mo. and gets you up to 50 Mbps speeds, free installation, free equipment and no data caps or contracts. Heres who qualifies for Optimum Advantage Internet:

• Affordable Connectivity Program:Optimum participates in this federal government program, providing free 300 Mbps internet access to qualified individuals. Learn more here.
• Households with students: Your household must qualify for or participate in the National School Lunch Program . Optimum Advantage Internet is also open to New York City residents attending a New York City public school.
• Seniors: You must be 65 years or older and eligible for Supplemental Security Income .
• Veterans: You must be a veteran and receive state or federal public assistance.
• Discounted laptop: In addition to the discounted internet, Optimum Advantage customers can also purchase a refurbished Chromebook laptop for just $149.

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What Can You Do Online

So much of todays information, communication, and fun happens online, that the internet is more essential than ever before. When youre online, your everyday tasks become cheaper, easier, and more efficient. You can use the internet to bring the world into your home.

Older adults can access a variety of completely free courses, programs, and activities to learn new skills, save money, get in shape, and make new friends through the nonprofit organization Senior Planet from AARPs website: SeniorPlanet.org.

Best Internet For Seniors In 2021

In recent years, seniors have become more tech-savvy than ever. Approximately 73 percent of adults aged 65 and older use the internet regularly.1 As a matter of fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we use the internet many seniors have turned to technology to stay connected to loved ones, safely shop from home and attend virtual medical appointments. As older adults embrace the internet and shatter the stereotype of being bad with technology, they may start to wonder which internet provider offers the best price, speed and reliability. If youre in that boat, this guide tells you everything there is to know about the best internet for seniors in 2021!

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Our Recommended Optimum Internet Plans For Senior Citizens In 2022

Since Optimum provides the best internet options for rural areas and urban centers, seniors living in rural areas can enjoy fast internet connections. Even though we couldnt get specific plans meant for seniors, there are various plans that you can get from the company. The table below shows some of the plans that you can get from Optimum plus the prices. It shows that you can save up to $30/month when you get Optimum Internet and add Optimum Mobile.

The ordinary plans that you can get from the company include the following.

Speak Up About Poor Service

If you ordered a 65 TV online and received a 50 TV instead, you would return the wrong item and request a refund or replacement. In the same way, if you pay for internet speeds up to 50 Mbps and regularly experience slower speeds, you should contact your provider to notify them of your poor connection. If youre unsatisfied with your internet, be sure to speak up about the sub-par service to request technical support. In addition to remedying your issue, they may even offer a coupon or extra discount to make up for it.

Potential Savings: $0-$150 per year

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Finding A Competitive Provider Could Get Easier

One of the challenges of finding an affordable internet plan is that ISPs often engage in anticompetitive practices that allow them to inflate prices instead of following market demand. This puts a huge burden on those with fixed incomes, as well as those who live in rural areas.

To address this lack of competition among broadband providers, the White House issued an executive order instructing the FCC to uphold certain standards for ISPs, including preventing them from engaging in certain anticompetitive practices and requiring them to make pricing more transparent, to limit excessive early termination fees, and to restore net neutrality.2 If implemented by the FCC, these measures could reduce the cost of internet access for many Americans.

Fact Sheet: President Biden And Vice President Harris Reduce High

Biden-Harris Administration Secures Commitments from 20 Internet Providers to Cut Prices and Increase Speeds

High-speed internet service is no longer a luxuryits a necessity. But too many families go without high-speed internet because of the cost or have to cut back on other essentials to make their monthly internet service payments. Lowering pricesincluding the cost of high-speed internet serviceis President Bidens top priority. Today, President Biden and Vice President Harris are announcing that they have secured private sector commitments that will lower high-speed internet costs for millions of American families.

As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the President and Vice President worked with Democrats and Republicans to create the Affordable Connectivity Program , which allows tens of millions of American households to reduce their internet service costs by up to $30/month . To ensure the most efficient use of those public dollars and to deliver maximum cost savings to families, the Biden-Harris Administration has secured commitments from 20 leading internet providerscovering more than 80% of the U.S. population across urban, suburban, and rural areasto either increase speeds or cut prices, making sure they all offer ACP-eligible households high-speed, high-quality internet plans for no more than $30/month.

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Two Simple Ways To Qualify

Economy Internet is available to two very different groups of people who reside in an area served by Cablevision.

The first way to qualify: Any household qualifies IF at least one child in the household is eligible for the National School Lunch Program. Simple, right?

The second way to qualify: You are also eligible IF you are a senior citizen who qualifies for Supplemental Security Income .

Please note that the eligibility requirements say at least one child in your household must be eligible for the National School Lunch Program, or that you are a senior citizen who is eligible for SSI. The regulations do NOT say that they must currently participate in either program. In other words, you may still be eligible even if you dont currently participate in either of these programs.

How To Make An Signature For The Cable Vision Senior Discount Program Form On Ios Devices

To sign a cable vision senior discount program form right from your iPhone or iPad, just follow these brief guidelines:

After its signed its up to you on how to export your cable vision senior discount program form: download it to your mobile device, upload it to the cloud or send it to another party via email. The signNow application is just as effective and powerful as the web tool is. Get connected to a strong connection to the internet and begin executing documents with a legally-binding signature within a couple of minutes.

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Additional Ways To Save

Whether you currently subscribe to an internet service or want the most bang for your buck, there are several additional ways to save aside from finding internet options for seniors. Internet plans and pricing may seem fixed, but you can use these helpful tips to ensure you always get the speeds and services you pay for.

Free Internet For College Students

If youre a college student, look into free public Wi-Fi hotspots and internet services with free intro periods. Read our article Cheap and Free Internet for Students for an in-depth look at these options.

And if youre a community college student in Colorado and Illinois, you may be able to get Internet Essentials from Comcast with documentation from your financial aid office.

One last thought: sometimes internet providers offer deals for students. Check out this months deals to see whats available right now.

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How Can Seniors Use The Internet On Their Phones

An internet-capable phone is perfect for active older adults who need access to emails on the go, want to video-chat with family and friends, or enjoy surfing the web throughout the day.

Tech tip: Considering connecting a smartphone to your internet? Check out our top five smartphones for seniors!

Of course, not all cell phones are smart, so as you shop for the best senior-friendly cell phone for your needs, be sure to ask the provider if the phone has internet access.