Free and Low-Income Internet in New York
One provider, Astound (RCN, Grande, Wave), publishes New York in the availability list for its low-income plan; 8 more say only "not available in all areas". New York law gives you a $15 or $20 plan. Every price on this page was read off the provider's own page on 2026-09-23, and the Affordable Connectivity Program that most other pages still describe ended on 1 June 2024.
New York law gives you a $15 or $20 plan
The Affordable Broadband Act is in force. Any internet provider with more than 20,000 customers in New York has to offer eligible households $15 a month for at least 25 Mbps, or $20 a month for at least 200 Mbps, with taxes and equipment fees included. The price is permanent, adjustable at most once every five years and capped at the lower of inflation or 2% a year. Smaller providers are exempt. You qualify through SNAP, Medicaid, SCRIE, DRIE, HEAP, free or reduced school lunch, or on income, and you enroll by finding your provider on the state broadband map and calling them. Verizon Forward's discount rises to $45 a month in New York, Xfinity Internet Essentials accepts SCRIE and DRIE here, and Spectrum lists additional New York criteria.
Source: dps.ny.gov, broadband.ny.gov. Verified 2026-09-23.
Programs that publish New York availability
| Program | Monthly | Speed | Existing customers | Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astound (RCN, Grande, Wave) Internet First | $9.95 | 50 Mbps or 150 Mbps down; upload not published | No Astound service in the 60 days before applying | Standard modem and Wi-Fi included, free standard installation |
Eligibility rules, contract terms and the fine print for each are on the national comparison; the table above is what differs for New York.
Xfinity (Comcast), Spectrum (Charter), Verizon, T-Mobile, Cox (now Spectrum), Optimum, Starry, Mediacom publish no state list, so in New York their address checkers decide.
Lifeline on a home internet bill in New York
The federal Lifeline discount is $9.25 a month, or $34.25 on Tribal lands, and it can be applied to home internet where a provider offers that. New York is one of the 11 places where Verizon puts it on a Fios plan, and doing so qualifies you automatically for Verizon Forward, so the two stack into a discount of $30 or more. Source: verizon.com.
Free mobile data in New York through a Lifeline phone
Carriers here with hotspot on the free plan: Assurance Wireless (10GB), SafeLink Wireless (not published), Life Wireless (not published), Access Wireless (not published): $0 lines whose hotspot is the only free internet here not tied to a school-age child, though the FCC floor is 4.5GB a month. Ranking and application steps: New York free phone page.
Income limits that apply in New York
| Household | 200% (most ISP programs) | 135% (Lifeline) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $31,920 | $21,546 |
| 2 people | $43,280 | $29,214 |
| 3 people | $54,640 | $36,882 |
| 4 people | $66,000 | $44,550 |
| 5 people | $77,360 | $52,218 |
Annual, from the current federal poverty guideline.
New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers: same programs, decided by address rather than city. No ISP runs a separate city offer in New York.
National picture, every program compared: free and low-income internet after ACP.
Common questions
Is there free internet in New York?
Not wired, not since ACP ended in June 2024. New York law gives you a $15 or $20 plan, which is the closest thing in the country to a real program. The realistic floor for a wired line is $9.95 a month through Astound (RCN, Grande, Wave) Internet First, and T-Mobile Project 10Million is free mobile data if there is a K-12 student at home.
Which providers in New York publish a low-income plan for this state?
Astound (RCN, Grande, Wave) (Internet First). 8 others, including Xfinity and Spectrum, say only that they are not available in all areas, so their address checker is the answer for your street.
Does Lifeline work on home internet in New York?
Yes. Verizon applies the $9.25 discount to Fios in New York, and that automatically qualifies you for Verizon Forward on top. Ask other wired providers directly.
Gov-Grants.org is an independent guide, not a carrier and not a government agency. We never charge fees, and every fact above links to its source with the date we checked it. Program details change; confirm on the official site before applying.