Optimum Low-Income Internet Guide

Optimum Advantage Internet is Optimum’s low-income internet option. The plan includes the following:

• 50Mbps of speed each month
• Free installation
• Included equipment
• No contracts
• Unlimited data

With the dissolution of the Affordable Connectivity Program, Optimum is one of many internet providers that have introduced low-cost internet programs for customers who can’t pay full price. Its $14.99 Optimum Advantage Internet plan truly is a steal—cheaper than many low-income plans offered by its competitors and without any extra fees.

To qualify for Optimum Advantage Internet, a member of your household needs to meet one of these requirements:

• Attends a New York City public school
• Is 65+ and eligible for or receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Is a veteran receiving federal or state public assistance
• Participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

You also can’t have a current Optimum Internet plan. If you’ve used Optimum in the past, it has to be at least 60 days since you disconnected your service, and your former account must be in good standing (e.g., no unpaid fees).

Not only is $14.99 one of the lowest internet prices on the market, but Optimum Advantage Internet customers also get free installation and equipment (a Wi-Fi Gateway plus an Extender if needed). The plan even comes with unlimited data, within reason—if Optimum sees you getting too data-happy, your internet service may slow down until the next month.

Optimum also offers a low-income plan called Optimum FASTPASS. FASTPASS is a little more expensive, twice as fast, and comes with free equipment and installation and a five-year price lock. Best of all, there are no qualifications needed and no questions asked. Anyone who lives in an Optimum FASTPASS service area can sign up.

You're still in luck if you don't qualify for Optimum Advantage Internet. Optimum created FASTPASS for precisely this reason. Since there's no gatekeeping with FASTPASS, you can sign up even if you don't qualify for government assistance. FASTPASS isn't as cheap as Optimum Advantage, but it's faster and still comes at an excellent monthly price.

But if the 100Mbps FASTPASS plan doesn’t meet your needs, you can always try Optimum’s regular plans. The 200Mbps plan for $25 is my pick for any household—it provides more-than-adequate speed for a low price.

Optimum offers both cable and fiber plans (depending on the area), although customers pay the same either way. Plans start at $25 a month for 200Mbps and go up to $120 for 8,000Mbps.

Although these plans aren’t as good a deal as Optimum’s low-income option, they still beat the national average internet costs: $47.89 for cable and $81.27 for fiber. But if you need something that costs less, enter your zip code below and see what affordable providers you can get at your address.

Before applying for Optimum Advantage, you must check Optimum's availability at your address. That way, potential customers don't waste time applying for a service they can't get anyway.

After you've confirmed that Optimum is available at your home, you may be asked to submit documentation that proves your eligibility for Optimum Advantage.

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

If your Optimum Internet is 1,000Mbps or one gig or faster, chances are you can downgrade your speed without issue. (Very few people need a whole gig of internet service.)

Depending on the plans you start with and downgrade to, you can save anywhere from $10 to $240 monthly. That's a fair chunk of change!

Combining your Optimum Internet with Optimum Mobile service gives you an astonishingly good deal for the first 12 months.

For instance, you can get an unlimited Optimum Mobile line with the 1 Gig Internet plan for $60 a month. That's just $10 more than the internet plan by itself.

And while the prices go up after a year, Optimum says that "the monthly price will increase in periodic increments, with advance notice." So you won't suddenly be hit with an unexpected price hike. You have plenty of time to figure out your budget before the cost increases.

Optimum runs promotions throughout the year, so you may find one that works for you. For example, while researching this piece, I encountered a pop-up on Optimum's website offering me $60 off my first bill if I signed up on the spot.

If Optimum isn’t right for you, no worries. You can enter your zip code below to find other affordable internet providers at your residence.