AT&T ‘Access’ connects low income homes to the internet for $5 a month

AT&T is the latest ISP jumping on the bandwagon to offer internet packages that could be more affordable for low-income households.

The move is actually a condition of AT&T’s merger with DirecTV last July. In the move the FCC called on AT&T to provide discounted standalone (non-bundled) internet service to lower-income consumers within its wireline service area.

‘Access,’ the aptly-named low-income solution, supports three speed tiers: 10, 5 and 3 Mbps. The top two tiers will cost $10 per month, while the 3 Mbps is $5 per month. Customers paying for the $10 option will automatically get the highest tier available in their neighborhood.

While the solution for lower-priced connectivity is a great start, the program is limited to the 21-state wireline footprint and requires at least one person in the area to be receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from the US Department of Agriculture. AT&T has even set up a website with an application to join the program.

New installations will be subject to AT&T’s monthly data policy, which is 150 to 250 GB, depending on the speed tier. There’s no information currently detailing which end of that spectrum Access users would fall on, but we’ll update should the information be made available.

To see if you qualify, just fill out the application on AT&T’s page.