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Blog
Jan 15

Affordable Home Broadband Isn’t Just a Nice‑to‑Have

In today’s world, reliable home internet is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. From education and job applications to telehealth and civic participation, being connected matters. Yet for far too many households, broadband remains out of reach, not because the infrastructure isn’t there, but because of cost.

The Affordability Barrier

According to the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA):

  • Among U.S. households earning $50,000 or less, 62% report they can only afford an internet bill of $25 or less per month.
  • 40% of those same households say they cannot afford to pay anything for home internet. 
  • Overall, cost remains the major reason households are disconnected from the internet. 

These numbers are not just statistics; they represent real families making tough choices. Questions arise:: “Do we pay the internet bill or buy groceries?” “Do we skip the broadband plan and rely on our phone?”

What’s Been Working and Where We’ve Been

Programs like the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) once helped bridge this gap. This federal benefit offered up to $30/month (or up to $75/month on Tribal lands) and a one‑time device discount. While ACP was in place, digital participation rose and households kept connected.

With the ACP having ended in 2024, the responsibility to ensure affordable home broadband increasingly falls on Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and local governments. NDIA emphasizes two key strategies:

  1. ISPs offer low‑cost broadband plans for low‑income households.
  2. Government‑funded subsidies or benefits that reduce the cost of broadband for qualifying households.

NDIA has established a “Low‑Cost Plan Model” with clear criteria to guide ISPs. For example:

  • Monthly cost $30 or less (inclusive of taxes/fees) for non‑Tribal areas; $75 or less for Tribal lands. 
  • Minimum speed: 100 Mbps down / 20 Mbps up (or whatever the infrastructure can support if less).
  • No data caps, no hidden fees, easy eligibility criteria.

Why ISPs Should Embrace Affordability

Here’s why making broadband more affordable is not only good for communities, but good business strategy and in the public’s interest:

  • Increased adoption = stable base. When price is reduced, more households subscribe and stay connected, which spreads fixed infrastructure costs and encourages upselling or higher‑tier adoption over time.
  • Brand and community goodwill. ISPs that help bridge the digital divide build trust and credibility, especially in economically underserved communities.
  • Regulatory and funding incentives. As federal and state programs flow, ISPs demonstrating inclusive, affordable offerings may be better positioned to access grants, contracts, or favorable regulatory conditions.
  • Market differentiation. In a crowded broadband market, offering a credible, affordable low‑cost plan can be a competitive advantage.

What Affordable Internet Looks Like in Practice

Here are practical actions and policies that help make affordability real:

  • Low‑cost plan design: ISPs launch dedicated plans for qualifying households (e.g., income ≤ 200% of Federal Poverty Guidelines or participation in SNAP/Medicaid).
  • Discount‑oriented model: Instead of separate low‑cost plans, an ISP offers a fixed discount (e.g., $30 off any plan) to eligible households.
  • Streamlined eligibility: Simplified criteria (e.g., participation in common assistance programs) and minimal documentation reduce friction and improve uptake.
  • Public‑private partnerships: Local governments or nonprofits partner with ISPs to subsidize or bundle service in low‑income housing, multi‑family units, or community programs.
  • Transparency and awareness: Clear communication about plan cost, speed, and eligibility, (and no hidden fees) helps households make informed choices and trust the offer.

A Call to Action: for ISPs, Policymakers, and Community Organizations

To ISPs:

  • Design and offer genuinely low‑cost broadband plans: for example, $30/month or less (or an equivalent discount) with meaningful speeds and minimal barriers to entry (e.g., no hidden fees, no onerous credit checks).
  • Make enrollment easy and inclusive: streamline eligibility, simplify paperwork, eliminate unnecessary hoops, and ensure that qualifying households can sign up quickly and smoothly.
  • Promote these plans clearly and actively: partner with housing authorities, nonprofits, libraries and digital inclusion organizations to get word out, especially in underserved communities.
  • Track and transparently publish results: monitor how many low‑income households you serve, how long they stay connected, what attrition or drop‑off looks like, and share those findings to build trust and drive improvement.

In a recent post, The Crucial Role of ISPs in Closing the Connectivity Gap, we emphasized that ISPs can do more than just provide discounted plans: they can embed digital equity into their core operations by investing in communities, collaborating with local organizations and supporting not only connectivity but also the devices, training and infrastructure that make broadband meaningful.

By thinking of affordable broadband as a community imperative – not just a market product – ISPs can become genuine partners in closing the digital divide.

To Policymakers and Funders:

  • Consider supporting subsidies, incentives or matching funds that enable ISPs to offer affordability plans sustainably.
  • Monitor, evaluate and publish data on affordability barriers, like the percentage of households saying they can’t afford broadband.
  • Encourage state and local digital equity plans that explicitly target service cost as a barrier, not just infrastructure.

To Community Organizations and Practitioners:

  • Utilize tools like this one provided by Everyone On to help households understand their options: low‑cost plans, subsidy programs, and eligibility criteria.
  • Advocate for streamlined enrollment and less restrictive criteria for low‑cost offers.
  • Partner with ISPs, housing authorities and local governments to bring visibility to affordability solutions in your region.
  • Collect and share stories: the human impact of being connected (or disconnected) is powerful for advocacy. 

Affordability is one of the biggest reasons people don’t have home broadband, and it’s a barrier we can do something about. By combining thoughtfully designed low‑cost plans, public subsidies, streamlined eligibility, and community outreach, we can bridge that gap.

If every ISP stepped up and made affordability a priority, and every community kept pushing for equitable access, we could make home broadband genuinely accessible for every household that wants it, not just those who can easily afford it.

Let’s make that the standard.

Affordability doesn’t change on its own. It changes when organizations decide to act together. If you’re ready to move from intention to impact, partner with digitalLIFT to help communities work towards  turning affordable broadband from a promise into a reality.