Cox Low-Income Internet Guide (2026): Affordable Internet Deals for Your Family

Cox offers several affordable internet plans for low-income families wanting a reliable internet service.

Cox’s low-income internet plans cost between $9.95 to $50 monthly for 100Mbps. The prices vary depending on financial need and eligibility criteria. All of the plans include a Wi-Fi modem rental, 1.25TB of data, and free self-installation. There are no contracts or credit checks.

In some cases, Cox customers who received the ACP discount may have been able to afford a faster plan with Cox, as the discount provided a monthly subsidy of $30. Switching to one of Cox’s low-income internet plans with 100Mbps means that some customers may experience a downgrade in internet speed.

However, 100Mbps is still fast and can support several users streaming, browsing the internet, and playing games at the same time. If the speed seems too slow, make sure to follow these helpful tips to speed up your internet connection before you upgrade your speed.

Here’s a look at the options:

• Cox Connect2Compete helps families with a child in grades K-12 who participates in the National School Lunch Program or SNAP. The plan costs $9.95 a month.
• Cox ConnectAssist plan costs $30 a month and helps those who participate in government assistance programs including Medicaid, Pell Grant, Public Housing, SNAP, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), tribal programs, Veterans Pension, or WIC.
• Cox StraightUp Internet is a prepaid internet service that costs $50 monthly. There is no eligibility requirement.

All of Cox’s low-income internet plans listed above include the following:

• Discounted monthly rates
• Wi-Fi modem rental
• 25TB of data
• Free self-installation
• No annual contracts

As of June 2024, Cox customers stopped receiving monthly bill assistance from the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), due to the program running out of funding. The program played a large role in helping families at or below 200% of the poverty guidelines to get connected to reliable, high-speed internet.

Now that the program is over, low-income households can still get access to low-cost internet plans offered directly from the internet providers themselves.

Regardless of your financial situation, any household in a serviceable area can get Cox StraightUp Internet for $50 monthly for 100Mbps download speed.

If you want more speed, Cox also offers plans from 500Mbps up to 2,000Mbps. No one really needs to get 2,000Mbps internet, but getting a plan with 500Mbps is the sweet spot for most families. There are no contracts and you get unlimited data.

A 500Mbps plan is plenty of speed–Cox claims this plan supports heavy device usage for seven to nine connected devices.

This is a pretty good deal, and matches up to the average price of internet. If it’s still out of your price range, you might be able to find cheaper options with a different provider. Type in your zip code below to see other providers available near you.

To apply for Cox’s low-income internet plans, follow these steps:

1. Go to Cox’s Low-Cost Internet website and select which plan you want to apply for (Connect2Compete, ConnectAssist, and StraightUp Internet).
2. Check your address for plan availability. Not all plans are available in all locations.
3. Select the qualification criteria that you meet.
4. Verify your identity using your date of birth or social security number.
5. Select your installation type: Self-installation or professional.
6. Upload any documentation to verify your eligibility.
7. Complete your application and wait up to four business days for Cox to process your application.

Even if you can’t get a low-income plan from Cox, there are ways to get a great deal on high-speed internet for an affordable price.

Cox customers have seen success in reducing their bill by calling Cox and scheduling a disconnection. Monica Yoshida, Reviews.org’s resident expert on lowering your Cox bills, provided the following steps on how to get 40% off your internet bill:

1. Call Cox customer service at +1-800-234-3993.
2. Schedule a disconnect in a few weeks time (make up an excuse like moving to another country).
3. Receive an email confirmation about the disconnect.
4. Call +1-678-608-4070 in two days (or before Cox actually disconnects).
5. Mention that you were told you could reconnect service for 40% off.

If it doesn’t work the first time, don’t give up! Many Reddit users claim that it takes multiple tries before they secure the discount.

Although this doesn’t necessarily lower your Cox bill, getting a referral bonus can definitely go toward paying for it. For every friend you refer to Cox through your referral link, you can earn up to $125 via a prepaid Mastercard.

The total amount you earn per friend depends on how many services they sign up for, which account for $25 each. These are the qualifying services:

• Contour TV
• Cox Internet
• Cox Voice
• Cox Homelife
• Cox Mobile

You can earn up to $600 every year.

Renting Wi-Fi equipment from Cox costs $13 a month, if you’re not a new customer. You can avoid that fee by using your own modem and router. Sure, you still need to pay for your own equipment, but you can find one within your budget and have more control over the quality. If you wanted to switch providers, you might be able to continue to use your own equipment or sell it later on Facebook marketplace.

Even if you can sign up for an affordable Cox internet plan, you should still take a good look at all of your options. Type in your zip code below to see all the providers and plans available—you never know, there might just be a better deal that offers more speed for less money.