Home Internet Resources

Sending on behalf of State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala: 

I want to be sure you are aware of the free Internet access opportunities from AT&T, Spectrum, and Comcast. ISBE has listed these opportunities at www.isbe.net/keeplearning

Below are some other notes being shared about home Internet access across the state. We will continue to update this as new items come in.

  1. Keep Americans Connected Pledge The FCC asked carriers to waive overage charges, suspend data caps and waive late fees. It appears that multiple providers have commited to this. (theverge.com)

  2. On 3/18/20 The FCC waived gift rules for the E-rate and Rural Health Care programs, so that companies CAN donate equipment to districts in this time of need without jeopardizing their federal funding.

  3. Major Carriers continue to update their offerings that have historically supported the low cost programs through the FCC. Many of these offerings have been expanded to ALL students, not just those eligible for NSLP. However, these services are usually just for NEW accounts and it’s unclear if the teaching staff is eligible for these programs. 

  • BroadBandNow can help discover providers in an area. (enter your zipcode)

  • HighSpeedInternet.com provides a listing of current Major Carrier offerings

  • The FCC Lifeline Program provides low cost internet to those who can demonstrate they are using a federal assistance program.