The only active federal program offering free or discounted government internet in 2026 is Lifeline, which takes up to $9.25 per month off a qualifying phone, internet, or bundled plan from a participating provider. On qualifying Tribal lands, the discount rises to $34.25 per month. You qualify if your household income sits at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if someone in your household receives SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, or a Veterans Pension or Survivors Benefit. The larger Affordable Connectivity Program that many households relied on ended on June 1, 2024, and Congress has not replaced it.1Federal Communications Commission. Affordable Connectivity Program
What Lifeline Actually Pays For
Lifeline is a monthly discount, not a check. Your carrier subtracts the subsidy from your bill before you pay, so a $9.25 discount on a $9.25 plan means you owe nothing that month.2eCFR. 47 CFR 54.403 – Lifeline Support Amount Some carriers structure plans to be fully covered by the subsidy; others charge more and let you pay the difference. Only one Lifeline benefit is allowed per household, no matter how many people live there or how many qualifying programs they participate in.3Federal Communications Commission. Lifeline Support for Affordable Communications
Internet plans offered under Lifeline have to meet FCC minimums. Fixed broadband must deliver at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload with a 1,280 GB monthly data allowance. Mobile broadband must offer 3G speeds or better with 4.5 GB of data per month.4Universal Service Administrative Company. Minimum Service Standards Those are floors. Plans in your area may go well beyond them, so compare before you commit.
Who Qualifies
There are two ways in: income or participation in a listed government program.
Income
Your household income has to be at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. For 2026, that means $21,546 for a single person and $44,550 for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. Alaska and Hawaii have higher thresholds.5Universal Service Administrative Company. Lifeline Support – How to Qualify
Program Participation
You automatically qualify, regardless of income, if you receive any of the following:3Federal Communications Commission. Lifeline Support for Affordable Communications
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance
- Veterans Pension or Survivors Benefit
Residents of qualifying Tribal lands can also qualify through Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal Head Start (if income-qualifying), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, or Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.6Universal Service Administrative Company. Tribal Eligibility
What Counts as a Household
The one-per-household rule catches more applicants than any other requirement. A household is a group of people who live together and share income and expenses such as food, rent or mortgage, and utilities. Two unrelated adults at the same address who keep separate finances count as two households, and each can potentially get their own benefit. A married couple sharing expenses is one household, even if both spouses independently meet the income test.7Universal Service Administrative Company. Lifeline Program Household Worksheet
Documents to Have Ready
Every applicant provides a full legal name, date of birth, and the last four digits of a Social Security number. If you don’t have an SSN, a Tribal identification number works instead, backed by a Tribal ID card, an official enrollment letter, or a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood.8Universal Service Administrative Co. Paper Application Instructions Lifeline Program9Universal Service Administrative Company. Supporting Documents You also need a residential address. If you don’t have a permanent home, a descriptive location or geographic coordinates will satisfy the requirement.
If you’re applying based on income, bring one of these:10Universal Service Administrative Company. Acceptable Documentation Guide Lifeline Program
- Your prior year’s federal, state, or Tribal tax return
- A Social Security statement of benefits
- A current annual income statement from your employer
- Pay stubs covering three consecutive months within the past 12 months
If you’re applying based on program participation, you need an official document showing your name, the program name, and the issuing agency, with an issue date within the past 12 months or a future expiration date. A benefit award letter, statement of benefits, verification letter, or a screenshot of your online benefits portal all work.10Universal Service Administrative Company. Acceptable Documentation Guide Lifeline Program
How to Apply
The fastest route is the National Verifier at nv.fcc.gov/lifeline. The system checks your information against federal databases in real time, and if everything matches you can be approved within minutes.11Universal Service Administrative Company. National Verifier When the automated check can’t confirm eligibility, you’ll be asked to upload documents for manual review, which typically adds several business days.
To apply by mail, print the application from lifelinesupport.org and send it with copies of your supporting documents to:
Lifeline Support Center
PO Box 1000
Horseheads, NY 1484512Universal Service Administrative Company. How to Apply
Paper applications generally take 7 to 10 business days. Make sure the name on your documents matches exactly what you write on the form. A nickname where your legal name should be is enough to get an application bounced back.
Approval doesn’t turn on the discount by itself. You still have to contact a participating Lifeline provider and pick a plan. The provider search tool at cnm.universalservice.org lets you look up companies by ZIP code or city. It doesn’t always list every participating carrier at your address, so call local providers directly if the map looks thin.
Keeping the Benefit After You’re Enrolled
Every year, USAC or your state will contact you to confirm you still qualify. You have 60 days to complete recertification. Miss that window and you lose the discount, your bill jumps to the standard rate, and in some cases service can be cut off.13Universal Service Administrative Company. Recertify Put the anniversary of your enrollment on the calendar. The notice is easy to miss.
There’s a second way to lose the benefit that catches people on fully subsidized plans. If your Lifeline plan has no monthly charge and you go 30 consecutive days without using it, your carrier issues a warning and gives you 15 days to use the service before de-enrolling you.14eCFR. 47 CFR 54.405 – Carrier Obligation to Offer Lifeline A call, text, or any mobile data use counts.
Extra Help on Tribal Lands
The Tribal lands discount is $34.25 per month, made up of the standard $9.25 plus $25 in Tribal support.2eCFR. 47 CFR 54.403 – Lifeline Support Amount A separate benefit called Tribal Link Up covers up to $100 of the one-time setup or activation fee for phone service at your home, with an interest-free payment plan of up to $200 over one year for anything beyond that.15Universal Service Administrative Company. Tribal Lands Benefit Not every carrier on Tribal lands offers Link Up, so ask before you assume.
A Note on the Affordable Connectivity Program
From late 2021 through mid-2024, the ACP paid up to $30 per month toward internet service ($75 on Tribal lands) and offered a one-time discount of up to $100 toward a laptop, tablet, or desktop. That program ran out of its $14.2 billion in funding on June 1, 2024, and no replacement has passed Congress.1Federal Communications Commission. Affordable Connectivity Program If you find a website in 2026 offering to sign you up for the ACP, it’s not real. The FCC has warned that fraudulent sites are still soliciting enrollments in a program that no longer exists.
Low-Cost Plans Outside of Lifeline
Several major providers, including AT&T, Spectrum, and Comcast, run their own low-cost internet programs for eligible households. These aren’t government benefits, but they can pair with Lifeline or serve as an alternative. Plans generally run $15 to $30 per month, often with speeds above what Lifeline requires, and eligibility usually tracks the same government programs that qualify you for Lifeline. Details, income thresholds, and availability vary by provider and address, so ask each carrier directly. Some plans include equipment at no cost and waive installation, which matters if you’re setting up service for the first time.