Spectrum Offers Low-Cost Wi-Fi to Qualifying Northampton Families

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By Stefanie Jackson – When Spectrum celebrated its $20 million investment on the Eastern Shore in November with Gov. Ralph Northam and other state and local representatives, the Charter Communications company pledged to provide broadband internet access to more than 17,500 businesses and homes, including low-income families, by next spring.

Spectrum recently announced via the Northampton County Public Schools website that families may now qualify for low-cost broadband internet service.

A family qualifies if any member of the household receives at least one of the following: free or reduced lunch through the National School Lunch Program, free school meals through the Community Eligibility Provision, or Supplemental Security Income for ages 65 and older.

All Northampton students receive free school meals through the Community Eligibility Provision funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and their families are invited to inquire if they qualify for service in their area.

The Spectrum Internet Assist program offers qualifying households high-speed internet access for $14.99 a month, plus $5 a month for Wi-Fi (wireless connection to the internet), for a total of $19.99 a month.

All of Spectrum’s broadband customers get a free modem, and no contract is required to receive service.

Customers who pay the extra $5 a month for Wi-Fi get a free router with no activation fee. Participating households will get download speeds of 30 Mbps, which qualify as broadband, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Spectrum also offers broadband service with download speeds up to 100 Mbps and higher at regular rates starting at $49.99 a month.

The FCC reported this year that 34 million Americans lack access to highspeed internet, and the Pew Research Center stated that five million American families with school-age children don’t have broadband at home.

Spectrum claims that its low-cost, high-speed internet is three times faster than comparable industry offerings, and it’s the only low-cost internet that qualifies as broadband, according to FCC guidelines.

To find out if a household qualifies for the Spectrum Internet Assist program, visit www.SpectrumInternetAssist.com or call 1-844-525-1574.

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