Millions of households in the United States will get free internet. President Joe Biden will announce Monday that 20 major Internet service providers will offer free high-speed Internet connections to low-income households.
The plan is part of a program funded by the infrastructure law passed last year.
About 11.5 million households have already signed up for the Affordable Connectivity Program. In total, about 48 million households are eligible for the program. In addition, the participants receive discounts of up to $30 per month on their internet subscriptions.
The ISPs, including major companies such as AT&T, Comcast and Verizon, have agreed to offer a speed of at least 100 megabits per second for that price and not charge any further fees.
Households qualify for the program by meeting an income threshold or if they already participate in other federal assistance programs, such as Medicaid health insurance program or Pell Grant, a student grant program.
The 20 companies that signed up are a fraction of the more than 1,300 companies participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program.
