CUB: AT&T Offers $10/Month High-Speed Internet For Low-Income Families

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Aug 18, 2016, 12:09 ET

CHICAGO, Aug. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Low-income families in Illinois may be eligible to get high-speed Internet for $10 per month, under a new offer from AT&T, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) said Thursday.

AT&T's "Access" program provides qualifying homes high-speed service (10 megabits per second) for $10 per month, wherever the company offers wireline Internet service in Illinois. The program also includes Wi-Fi service for a participant's devices—such as a laptop or smartphone—inside the home, and it gives participants access to thousands of Wi-Fi hotspots outside the home, AT&T said.

This offer, set to be available through April of 2020, is a condition of AT&T's acquisition of DirectTV last year. It requires no extra charge for installation or activation.

"This is an excellent opportunity for Illinois families who have been trapped at the bottom of the digital divide," said Bryan McDaniel, CUB director of governmental affairs. "Access to affordable high-speed Internet is a key to building a stronger economy. It provides families with educational content to help children complete their homework; it offers easy access to job opportunities—and it makes household tasks, like paying bills, a lot simpler."

For households to qualify for the program, at least one resident must participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP (formerly called the Food Stamp Program), and cannot have outstanding debt with AT&T connected to Internet service or the Access program.

If 10 megabits per second (Mbps) is not available in a participant's region, the program will offer 5 Mbps at the same price, and if that speed isn't available, 3 Mbps for $5 per month, the company said.

The AT&T offer does have a 150/300/600 gigabyte (GB) data cap, depending on the type and speed of the service a customer receives. Participants will be charged an additional $10 for every 50 GB used beyond that—even if less than 50 GB is used.

To determine program eligibility and get more details, visit www.att.com/access, or call 1-855-220-5211. (For assistance in Spanish, call 1-855-220-5225.)

CUB is Illinois' leading nonprofit utility watchdog. Created by the Illinois Legislature, CUB opened its doors in 1984 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers. Since then, it has saved consumers more than $20 billion by helping to block rate hikes and secure refunds. For more information, call CUB's Consumer Hotline, 1-800-669-5556, or visit its award-winning website, www.CitizensUtilityBoard.org.

SOURCE Citizens Utility Board