Xfinity Low-Income Internet Guide

Xfinity Internet Essential plans are affordable alternatives to Xfinity’s regular plan offerings. The plans provide reliable, fast speeds for qualifying low-income households.

Xfinity Internet Essentials plans include the following:

• Discounted monthly rates
• Unlimited data
• Free Wi-Fi equipment
• No credit check
• No term contract
• Access to Xfinity Wi-Fi public hotspots
• Exclusive offers on Dell laptops

Up until May 2024, the federal Affordable Connectivity Program provided a monthly discount to help customers pay for their internet bill, but the program ended due to lack of funding. To ensure that customers don’t have to disconnect their internet due to drastic bill increases, many providers offer their own low-cost internet program.

To qualify for Xfinity Internet Essentials, a member of your household needs to participate in one of these programs:

• Federal Pell Grant in the current award year
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Medicaid
• NSLP, SNAP, SSI, or WIC
• Public housing assistance
• TANF
• Tribal assistance
• VA Pension

You can’t sign up for Internet Essentials if you were a Xfinity Internet customer within the last 90 days or have any debt owed with any Comcast Account.

There are two Xfinity Internet Essentials plans. The Internet Essentials plan costs $14.95 monthly for 75Mbps and includes professional installation, whereas the Internet Essentials Plus plan costs $29.95 monthly for 100Mbps. Although these plans offer slower speeds than Xfinity’s regular plans, they still get decent speeds for one or two people using the internet for streaming, working, or gaming. Larger households might notice that speeds slow down with multiple users online at the same time.

Unlike the regular Xfinity plans that come with hidden costs, both Internet Essentials plans include unlimited data, Wi-Fi gateway rental, and a Getting Started self-installation kit. The Internet Essentials Plus plan also has an option for professional installation for an additional $39.99. With all of these extra features included, customers can look forward to stable prices from month to month.

If you need a computer, Xfinity’s low-cost computer program provides exclusive offers on Dell laptops for $149.99 (excluding taxes and fees). Eligible households can purchase up to one computer.

There are two laptops available for purchase:

• Dell Latitude: 11.6 inch laptop with 4GB RAM and Intel N100 processor
• Dell Chromebook: 11.6 inch laptop with 4GB RAM and Intel Celeron processor

Even if you don’t qualify for Internet Essentials, you still have several affordable plan options with Xfinity, such as the provider’s regular or prepaid plans.

Xfinity’s regular plans are more expensive, but they do deliver much faster speeds to support power users or larger households. Xfinity also offers NOW Internet, a prepaid service that offers middle of the road prices for those who want extra speed but don’t participate in any federal assistance programs.

Xfinity Internet plans cost roughly $55 to $115 monthly for 300Mbps to 2,000Mbps download speeds. Plans come with a five-year price guarantee and no contracts, although you can opt for a one-year price guarantee that offers cheaper prices in the first year but increases in the years afterward. Plans include unlimited data, Wi-Fi equipment, and the option for a free self-installation or $100 professional installation.

Xfinity NOW Internet plans cost $30 to $45 monthly for 100Mbps to 200Mbps download speeds. These plans come with unlimited data, Wi-Fi equipment, and installation. The plans are prepaid through a credit, debit, or prepaid card, and require autopay and paperless billing.

Xfinity’s prices are similar to the average price of cable internet, although you might be able to find cheaper options in your area by using the zip check below.

To apply for Xfinity Internet Essentials, start an application here and input your address. The application also asks you to upload documents to verify your identity and prove your eligibility.

To verify your identity, you need to provide one of the following:

• Social Security Number
• One-time passcode sent your mobile phone
• Selfie with your U.S. or Canadian driver’s license, passport, or other government-issued identification document (more options are available)

To provide your eligibility for the plan, you need to upload one of the following to your application:

• Federal Pell Grant documentation
• Medicaid card
• Public housing assistance documentation
• Letter of approval or eligibility for Headstart, LIHEAP, NSLP, SNAP, SSI, TANF, Tribal assistance, VA pension, or WIC

Even if you can’t get a low-income plan from Xfinity, there are ways to cut down your Xfinity Internet bill.

Many existing Xfinity customers rent the Xfinity Gateway for $15 a month, but you can save a lot of money over time by using your own modem and router. The nice thing about this is that it immediately cuts down your monthly bill, plus you can likely use your own router with other internet providers too, should you choose to switch.

This is one of the easiest ways to save money–simply sign into your Xfinity account online and change your plan to a cheaper one. Xfinity’s postpaid internet plans start at $55 monthly for 400Mbps, which is plenty of speed for a small household.

Negotiating requires some effort, but there’s a good chance that you can lower your bill by showcasing your dissatisfaction.

The best way to go about this is to research what other internet providers are available in your area and then call up Xfinity’s customer service at 1-800-266-2278.

Let the customer service rep know that you want to save money by switching to a different provider. The customer service rep doesn’t want to lose you as a customer, so is more inclined to offer you a deal to lower your bill.

At the end of the day, it’s best to arm yourself with knowledge about your options. See if your internet is on the expensive side or if you could save money by switching to another provider. Type in your zip code below to see the range of prices for internet in your area.