Your Guide to Internet Service During New Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

Can I get no-cost internet during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Some internet providers are waiving the cost of some of their internet plans for the first two months for people affected by the pandemic. It’s not exactly free, but you can get no-cost, in-home internet for up to sixty days during the COVID-19 pandemic if you qualify for certain low-income internet programs or have a student living in your household. Here’s a list of the internet providers offering limited, no-cost internet services during the outbreak.

Data effective 1/19/21. Not all offers available in all areas. Prices and packages are subject to change.

* Plus taxes and installation fee

† Plus taxes and installation fee

‡ Per month + tax

How does the COVID-19 pandemic affect internet speeds?

Internet speeds aren’t directly affected by the COVID-19 virus, but they can be affected by everyone staying inside to help prevent its spread. You may have noticed more sluggish internet speeds in the past year. This could be for two reasons:

• Your pandemic activities require more internet bandwidth than before.
• Your internet service provider’s (ISP’s) network infrastructure is congested from increased use.

Either way, it’s annoying when your internet connection slows down in the middle of a Zoom call or when you’re trying to submit an assignment.

If you’re getting the correct speeds to your home but your connections still seem slow, it’s probably an issue with your home network. To fix it, you either need to troubleshoot your home network or upgrade your internet plan to a faster speed.

If I’m working from home, how much internet speed do I need?

To give a broad recommendation, 10 Mbps of download speed and 1 Mbps of upload speed of dedicated bandwidth is a good internet speed for a person working from home. But how much speed you need to work from home depends on how you work and who else is using the internet. You might be able to get away with less, or you could need more.

For example, constant video conference calls will use more internet speed than emailing your coworkers or writing in Google Docs. And if your whole family is stuck at home trying to stay entertained online, you’ll need more bandwidth.

Will my internet service be shut off if I can’t pay my bill during the COVID-19 pandemic?

It’s possible that you may lose service if you cannot pay your internet bill, but many ISPs are working with customers to create flexible payment plans to prevent discontinuing service. This is continuing in the spirit of the Keep Americans Connected Pledge—a program put in place by the FCC early in the pandemic to make sure Americans had access to the internet during the initial lockdowns.

Though the pledge expired mid-2020, many ISPs still choose to work with customers who reach out about financial hardships. The best advice here is to let your provider know if you can’t pay your bill and work out a plan that keeps you online.

For example, Cox has announced that it’s dedicated to finding flexible payment plans for customers affected by the pandemic through June 2021.

Another example is the Emergency Broadband Benefit. If you’re suffering from financial hardships due to the pandemic, you could receive up to $50–$75 off your monthly broadband bill. Other qualifications include households with children enrolled in breakfast or lunch discounts, Lifeline members, and more. Learn more about how to qualify for the Emergency Broadband Benefit.

Will my internet data cap stay the same during the COVID-19 outbreak?

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many internet providers waived fees for going over your data cap. It’s been nearly a year since then, and most are back to enforcing their data caps—though providers like Xfinity and Cox have permanently increased data caps on most plans.

If you’re feeling a little restricted by a monthly data allotment, more internet services than ever offer plans with unlimited data.

Can I switch internet companies during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Yes, you can still switch internet service providers or plans, and now is a good time to switch if you find your current internet connection can’t keep up with all your social-distancing activities online. Start out by calling your provider to see about an upgrade. It can save you some hassle, and you might even end up with a better price.

If you’re set on switching providers, make sure that you’re not under a contract agreement before you switch—otherwise you might find yourself with some unpleasant fines and early termination fees (ETFs). On the upside, many providers offer new discounts to new customers, and you might be able to install your new service yourself.