How To Get Low-Income Internet Through T-Mobile

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has run out of funding and is shutting down, causing millions of Americans to lose the discounts they’ve relied on to afford their internet bill.

While there’s still an urgent need for a nationwide solution at the federal level, there are other low-income internet programs that are still available.

Aside from a few extensions for its third-party mobile customers, T-Mobile hasn’t introduced any type of ACP replacement program. However, its all inclusive home internet plan may still be a decent fit for those on budget. Below, we go over what to expect as the ACP ends, how to find out if you qualify for other programs, and what a T-Mobile Internet plan looks like without an ACP credit.

What happens when the ACP ends?

April was the last fully-funded month of the ACP where those in the program received their full benefit. In May, most participants will only receive a partial payment of $7–$16 toward their monthly internet bill, rather than the full $30. After May, no one in the program will receive any benefits unless Congress chooses to fund the program once again.

While there’s no news of any T-Mobile ACP replacement for 5G Home Internet customers, T-Mobile has announced a few extensions for third-party mobile customers affected by the end of the ACP:

• T-Mobile ACP customers receiving mobile service through Assurance Mobile will be able to keep their plans without any change to price through August 2024.
• T-Mobile ACP customers receiving mobile service through Metro by T-Mobile will have their bill covered through their June billing date and then will be offered a $15 discount on their service through August. According to T-Mobile’s website, the continued coverage and discount does not appear to apply to Home Internet for Metro
• T-Mobile has not offered a replacement plan or extension for existing ACP T-Mobile 5G Home Internet customers.

Once the program has ended, those on plans wholly covered by the ACP will lose internet service completely unless they opt-in to receiving undiscounted service from their provider. ACP customers can also opt-out of their internet service at the end of the ACP.

To avoid an interruption in service, you must do the following:

• Acknowledge receiving the disclosures about the ACP ending.
• Consent to receive internet service without the ACP discount.
• Pay your full bill for the upcoming month.

You can also choose to switch to a different provider, or cancel your connection entirely, though we’d suggest looking into other free and low-cost options first.

Alternatives to the ACP

With the end of the ACP, you may be one of the millions of households losing much-needed help with their internet bill, but there are other government programs that may help you balance your budget.

The Lifeline program works similarly to the ACP by providing qualifying consumers a discount on internet and phone service, but it has stricter eligibility requirements—not all ACP participants will qualify for Lifeline. However, if you qualified for the ACP through one of the programs below, you probably for the Lifeline program:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefits
• Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
• Medicaid
• Tribal Programs for Native Americans

Lifeline also offers benefits based on income, but the threshold for Lifeline is 135% of the federal poverty guideline, rather than the 200% needed for the ACP. To check your eligibility for the program, visit the Lifeline website.

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet plans are an affordable option on its own, even without any discount or assistance. While $70 per month isn’t exactly cheap, that rate is all-inclusive. There are no equipment fees, installation fees, or cancellation fees. Plus, you get unlimited data, so no data overage fees, either. The speeds are decent as well, provided you have decent 5G reception in your home.

To learn all the ins and outs of why this 5G Home Internet is one of our favorite internet plans, see our T-Mobile internet home test and review.

Other providers with low-income programs

One of the reasons that the ACP worked so well is that the program was nearly universal—all major internet providers participated in the program and had an incentive to tailor their own plans to work better with the subsidy it provided. Many ISPs have stepped up to fill the gap left by the end of the ACP, but while their requirements and benefits are similar, there’s some important differences between these programs.

Here are some other internet providers with affordable internet plans and programs:

• Access for AT&T
• Xfinity Internet Essentials
• Cox ConnectAssist
• Spectrum Internet Assist

Additional resources

If you’d like to learn more about low-income programs and other ways to find affordable internet, there are lots of other articles on HighSpeedInternet.com to help you learn about the topic.

• Government Programs To Make Internet Service More Affordable
• How To Get Free and Low-Cost Internet
• Best Internet Deals
• Best Internet Plans and Discounts for Seniors
• Best Internet Plans and Discounts for Students
• Best Internet for Veterans and Military Families
• Rural Internet Providers
• The End of the ACP