How to Get Free Internet

Free internet is most easily found at public WiFi hotspots. If you qualify for government assistance, you may be able to reduce your internet bill to completely free access. There's also free and discounted internet for students. Otherwise, you can find low-cost plans for students and low-income households, or use your cell phone plan's dedicated hotspot data.

There are plenty of cheap internet plans out there, but what’s even better than cheap internet? Free internet! Though totally free internet plans are rare, there are ways to get online without having to sacrifice a good chunk of your paycheck. And with more people making the shift to working or studying from home, having reliable yet affordable internet is more important than ever.

How to get free internet service

Truly free internet is hard to come by, but not impossible to find. Here are a couple options for finding free internet near you.

Free public Wi-Fi

One of the easiest ways to get free internet service is to use local public Wi-Fi networks. From coffee shops to dentist offices, businesses far and wide offer customer access to their in-house Wi-Fi hotspots (though we don’t recommend sending off emails while getting a tooth filled). For businesses like cafes, fast food restaurants, or breweries, the Wi-Fi itself is free, but you’ll likely still have to pay the cost of your muffin or West Coast IPA to get the password. 

Some cities also offer public Wi-Fi in parks or common areas, though this is seen more frequently in larger urban areas. For truly free Wi-Fi—and even free computers to use—head to your local public library. There, you can browse, work, and study to your heart’s content without paying a dime. Just make sure to use headphones for any music or video streaming, or suffer the wrath of your librarian.

Free government internet

The Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program offers deeply discounted (though not free) internet to eligible households. Approved households usually get a discount of at least $10/month on their services, which also extends to landline and wireless phone services. Depending on your plan’s initial monthly cost, you may be able to get your internet for free.

You can qualify either through your income or through participation in a government assistance program such as Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Internet service providers that participate in Lifeline include Verizon, Windstream, Frontier, CenturyLink, and Astound.

Other internet service providers offer similar low-cost internet plans of their own, intended for households participating in qualifying government assistance programs—like the Connect2Compete internet plans for students.

Note: The Affordable Connectivity Program is no longer accepting new applicants due to a lack of Congressional funding. Customers needing government assistance should use the Lifeline program instead.  

Best free internet for students

For households with qualifying students from home, there are quite a few options for affordable internet service. While most internet providers won’t offer plans completely for free, many will provide the first couple months as free internet service before your monthly rate kicks in.

Free temporary COVID-19 internet

Many internet service providers are offing special assistance to students e-learning during the coronavirus pandemic. These include: 

• Charter Spectrum: The internet provider is offering free internet and WiFi for 60 days to new customers with a K-12 or college student at home.
• Mediacom: Mediacom is waiving all monthly fees for the Connect2Compete program for 60 days.
• Comcast: Like Charter, Comcast is providing 2 months of its Xfinity Internet Essentials low-cost internet for free to new customers.
• Optimum: This Altice-owned ISPs offers free internet for 60 days to new qualifying households with K-12 and college students.
• Cox: Similar to Mediacom, Cox is waiving offering the Connect2Compete internet for free for the first month of service for new customers.
• AT&T: The Access program through Big Blue is free for 2 months to low-income and qualifying student households.

Connect2Compete

Connect2Compete is a low-cost internet program offered in partnership between Cox, Mediacom, and digital nonprofit EveryoneOn. Its aim is to ensure all students have access to reliable home internet regardless of socioeconomic status. Internet providers participating in Connect2Compete offer affordable internet service to eligible low-income families who: 

• Have at least one student in grade K-12 living in the household
• Are currently enrolled in a government-sponsored assistance program, such as the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

Through Connect2Compete, qualifying families receive high-speed home internet with WiFi for just $10 to $20 per month, depending on your local partnering ISP (for example, both Cox and Mediacom offer plans for $10/month). 

Spectrum Internet Assist

Spectrum’s no-contract Internet Assist program offers unlimited internet at 30Mbps to qualifying low-income households. Like the Connect2Compete program, your family must meet an eligibility threshold, to include a student participating in the NSLP. However, Internet Assist is also open to customers aged 65 and older who are on the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.

Cell phone plans that give you free internet

Many cell phone carriers offer unlimited plans that include dedicated hotspot data allowances that you can use to power your laptop, tablet, TV and other devices. So instead of having two separate bills for your wireless and internet service, you can nix the internet bill altogether! For more on how mobile hotspot works, check out our Easy Guide to Mobile Hotspots.

Here are a few cell phone plans that include ample hotspot data so you can turn your cell phone into a source of Wi-Fi—without paying for separate home internet.

Low-cost internet plans

Comcast Internet Essentials

Comcast offers a practically-free internet plan to eligible low-income households. Its no-contract Internet Essentials plan costs just $10/month without any credit check, installation charges, or equipment rental fees. Plus, for a limited time, new customers can get 2 months of free internet before your monthly charge kicks in. 

The Internet Essentials plan provides broadband service at 25Mbps download speed and a free WiFi router, giving you in-home WiFi access at no extra charge.

AT&T Access

The Access program through AT&T is offered to limited-income households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or who receive Supplemental Security Income benefits. You get a 150GB – 1TB data allowance with two different speed options based on your location:

• 768Kbps – 3Mbps speeds for $5/month
• 5Mbps – 10 Mbps speeds for $10/month

AT&T will give you whatever the fastest option is available in your area, and your data allowance is based on that speed. There are no contracts involved, and you get a free WiFi modem included in your internet package.

How to lower your internet bill

Even if you don’t qualify for one of the above low-cost internet plans, shopping around for a new internet plan is a good place to start lowering your budget—especially since many providers offer cheap introductory deals for new customers. Enter your address in our comparison tool and find a cheaper internet plan near you.

Lauren Hannula

Managing Editor

Lauren is WhistleOut's Managing Editor. With over 14 years of digital writing and publishing experience, she's developed a passion for breaking down overly complex topics to offer easy, affordable solutions that help make the most of the tech you already have in your pocket. Her work has appeared in industry stalwarts such as CNET, Yahoo! News, and Forbes.

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