Telecommunications Help During Coronavirus Pandemic

Federal Communications Commission

So far, 390 Telecom Companies have agreed to the FCC's Keep Americans Connected Pledge. For 60 days, providers pledge to:

  1. Not terminate service to any residential or small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic;
  2. Waive any late fees that any residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic; and
  3. Open its Wi-Fi hotspots to any American who needs them.
  4. FCC has recommended that providers make network performance information available to the public.

SPECIFIC FCC ACTIONS

FCC has issued waivers and granted Special Temporary Authority

ALL FCC COVID-19 RELATED ACTIVITIES ARE AVAILABLE AT HTTPS://WWW.FCC.GOV/CORONAVIRUS  - including a list - in alpha order - of all 390 companies that have signed on to the FCC's pledge.

    AT&T

    FIXED INTERNET SERVICE: AT&T suspends data caps for fixed internet service. Also offers a $10-a-month Access From AT&T program for qualifying low-income households.

    E-LEARNING INITIATIVE: AT&T is also underwriting expenses for a "one-stop" resource center to support eLearning Days from the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) available to all educators in schools to help them handle school closures and the increase in virtual learning due to COVID-19. https://www.ctia.org/news/blog-wireless-industry-responds-to-covid-19

    VOICE (wireless and landline) AND INTERNET: AT&T: COVID-19: Our Response: - Updated March 14: Added Relief for Customers - for the next 60 days, we will:

    • Not terminate the service of any wireless, home phone or broadband residential or small business customer because of their inability to pay their bill due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
    • Waive any late payment fees that any wireless, home phone or broadband residential or small business customer may incur because of economic hardship related to the coronavirus pandemic.
    • Keep our public Wi-Fi hotspots open for any American who needs them.

    If you find yourself in financial trouble and unable to pay your bill, we're here to help you. Please contact us at 800-288-2020 for AT&T broadband, residential wireless or small business services and 611 from your AT&T device for wireless.

    To provide further relief and support, AT&T announced:

    • Unlimited AT&T Home Internet - All AT&T consumer home internet wireline customers, as well as Fixed Wireless Internet, can use unlimited internet data. Additionally, we'll continue to offer internet access for qualifying limited income households at $10 a month through our Access from AT&T program.
    • AT&T World Connect Advantage - Business customers currently on or who purchase an AT&T World Connect Advantage package receive 50% off the current rate in a monthly bill credit (max $7.50/mo.).*
    • Helping You Work and Learn Remotely - Businesses, universities and schools can keep their teams and classrooms connected through conference calls and video conferencing with Cisco Webex Meetings with AT&T for 90-days, and seamlessly forward calls to both mobile and landline phones with AT&T IP Flexible Reach.
    • Distance Learning - AT&T is underwriting expenses for a "one-stop" resource center to support eLearning Days from the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) available to all educators in schools to help them handle school closures and the increase in virtual learning due to COVID-19.

    We are currently experiencing a high volume of calls due to COVID-19. To allow us to help as many customers as quickly as possible, we recommend reaching out through att.com or the myAT&T app for support, additional resources or to access our online store. At this time, our stores are open for business unless there are unique local circumstances. 

    We offer multiple options to keep you connected if you have concerns about getting out in the community or are unable to make it to a store.

    • MyAT&T and att.com give you easy access to view and pay bills, monitor data usage, add more lines to your account and even upgrade existing devices or services. The myAT&T app is easy to use and available through mobile app stores
    • AT&T Ready to Go brings the retail experience to you when and where you choose. In more than 50 markets across the U.S., consumers and small business customers can enjoy the benefits of personal delivery and expert setup with eligible device orders at no extra cost. AT&T Ready to Go experts bring the best of the AT&T store with them, like smartphones, cases, screen protectors and wearables

    Scammers are preying on fears surrounding COVID-19. Click here to learn more about how to protect yourself from COVID-19 scams.

      CenturyLink

      CenturyLink Commits to FCC's Keep Americans Connected Pledge We will waive late fees and will not terminate a residential or small business customer's service for the next 60 days due to financial circumstances associated with COVID-19. Today, we committed to the FCC's 'Keep Americans Connected Pledge' outlining these actions. We are also suspending data usage limits for consumer customers during this time period due to COVID-19."

        Charter Spectrum

        FIXED INTERNET SERVICE: Charter will offer free Spectrum broadband and WiFi access for 60 days to households with students in kindergarten through 12th grade or college students who don't already have a Spectrum broadband subscription at any service level up to 100 Mbps. The installation fees will be waived for new student households. To enroll, call 844-488-8395. For eligible low-income households without school-age children, Charter offers Spectrum Internet Assist, a low-cost broadband program delivering speeds of 30 Mbps. Spectrum doesn't have data caps or hidden fees.

        Beginning Monday, March 16, Charter commits to the following for 60 days:

        • Charter will significantly expand access to high speed broadband for households that include K-12 and college students, and we are working with school districts and public libraries on remote learning opportunities.
          • Charter will offer free Spectrum broadband at any service level up to 100 Mbps and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription. Installation fees will be waived for new student households. To enroll, call 1-844-488-8395.
          • Charter will partner with school districts to ensure local communities are aware of these tools to help students learn remotely.
          • Spectrum Internet does not ever impose data caps or hidden fees.
          • Additionally, Charter will continue to offer Spectrum Internet Assist, our high speed, low cost broadband program for eligible low-income households.
           
        • Charter will not terminate service for residential or small business customers who face difficult economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic.
        • Similarly, Charter will not charge late fees for those customers facing difficult economic circumstances related to the pandemic.
        • Charter will open its Wi-Fi hotspots across our footprint for public use.
        •  
        • These efforts include but also go far beyond the FCC's Keep Americans Connected pledge.
        • Spectrum News has opened its websites to ensure people have access to news and information.

          Comcast

          FIXED INTERNET SERVICE: Comcast will offer new residential customers who qualify its $9.95-per-month Internet Essentials program free for 60 days. The company says it will boost its internet service speeds from 15/2 Mbps to 25/3 Mbps, which qualifies the service as high-speed broadband under FCC guidelines. Comcast will also suspend data caps for 60 days and refrain from disconnecting service or charging late fees for customers who contact the company regarding overdue payments.

          COMCAST LINK: Comcast is taking steps to implement the following new policies for the next 60 days, and other important initiatives:

          • Xfinity WiFi Free For Everyone: Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country will be available to anyone who needs them for free - including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers. For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, visit www.xfinity.com/wifi. Once at a hotspot, consumers should select the "xfinitywifi" network name in the list of available hotspots and then launch a browser.
          • Pausing Our Data Plan: With so many people working and educating from home, we want our customers to access the internet without thinking about data plans. While the vast majority of our customers do not come close to using 1TB of data in a month, we are pausing our data plans for 60 days giving all customers Unlimited data for no additional charge.
          • No Disconnects or Late Fees: We will not disconnect a customer's internet service or assess late fees if they contact us and let us know that they can't pay their bills during this period. Our care teams will be available to offer flexible payment options and can help find other solutions.
          • Internet Essentials Free to New Customers: As announced yesterday, it's even easier for low-income families who live in a Comcast service area to sign-up for Internet Essentials, the nation's largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program. New customers will receive 60 days of complimentary Internet Essentials service, which is normally available to all qualified low-income households for $9.95/month. Additionally, for all new and existing Internet Essentials customers, the speed of the program's Internet service was increased to 25 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream. That increase will go into effect for no additional fee and it will become the new base speed for the program going forward.
          • News, Information and Educational Content on X1: For those with school-age students at home, we've created new educational collections for all grade levels in partnership with Common Sense Media. Just say "education" into your X1 or Flex voice remote. To help keep customers informed, we also have created a collection of the most current news and information on Coronavirus. Just say "Coronavirus" into your X1 or Flex voice remote.
          • 24x7 Network Monitoring: Underpinning all of these efforts, Comcast's technology and engineering teams will continue to work tirelessly to support our network operations. We engineer our network capacity to handle spikes and shifts in usage patterns, and continuously test, monitor and enhance our systems and network to ensure they are ready to support customer usage. Our engineers and technicians staff our network operations centers 24/7 to ensure network performance and reliability. We are monitoring network usage and watching the load on the network both nationally and locally, and to date it is performing well. For an current overview of everything we are doing for our Xfinity customers, click here.

            Cox Internet

            FIXED INTERNET SERVICE: Starting Monday, new customers can receive a free month of internet service in the company's Connect2Compete plan, available to qualified low-income households for $9.95 a month. The company is also fast-tracking the application process to get families connected more quickly. Cox will make its Complete Care support program free to all residential customers who have technical issues or need assistance installing features like education software or teleconferencing. The company is going to increase internet speeds from 25/3 Mbps to 50/3 Mbps for 60 days for the Starter, StraightUp Internet, and Connect2Compete packages, and speed up the implementation of a 50Mbps upgrade for users of Cox's Essentials service. That upgrade had been scheduled for later in the year.

            COX March 16 Press Release: Cox expands Coronavirus relief offerings for residential customers - Following a series of announcements last week, Cox announced today additional relief offerings to support residential customers during the coronavirus pandemic. New plans include offering a low-income internet tier with no annual contract and relaxing data usage overage charges for all tiers…Cox is offering the following over the next 60 days, through May 15:

            • A $19.99 offer for new Starter internet customers with a temporary boost up to 50 Mbps download speeds, no annual contract or qualifications to help low income and those impacted from Coronavirus challenges, like seniors and college students.
            • Eliminating data usage overages beginning today to meet the higher bandwidth demands. Customers with a 500 GB or Unlimited data usage add-on plan will receive credits.

            Last week, Cox announced increased internet speeds for select residential packages and implemented a variety of other changes to provide support and relief for our customers and communities in greatest need. Previously announced commitments included:

            • Pledging to support the FCC's Keep America Connected initiatives by:
              • Not terminating service to any residential or small business customer because of an inability to pay their bills due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
              • Waiving any late fees that residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic.
              • Opening Cox Wifi outdoor hotspots to help keep the public connected in this time of need.
               
            • Providing temporary increases for residential customers in the company's Starter, StraightUp Internet and Connect2Compete packages to speeds of 50 Mbps.
            • Extending our Cox Complete Care remote desktop support at no charge to residential customers in those tiers to provide remote helpdesk and assistance for loading new applications they may need to use during this time like online classroom support applications and web conferencing services.
            • Offering the first month free to new customers of Connect2Compete, Cox's low-cost internet product for families with school-aged children who are enrolled in low-income assistance programs ensuring digital equity for students without internet at home. Schools are being asked to contact connectnow@cox.com with a list of eligible low-income students that currently do not have an internet connection.
            • Fast-tracking the qualification process for Connect2Compete and https://cox.pcsrefurbished.com/
            • Increasing the speeds of our Essential tier customers from 30 Mbps to 50 Mbps, which was originally planned for later in the year.

            March 16 2nd Press Release: - During this time of uncertainty and required in-home learning, Cox is helping get families in need connected to the internet through our Connect2Compete program - We are responding to the Coronavirus crisis by increasing access and speeds of our low-income internet service Connect2Compete. New Connect2Compete customers will receive their first month of service free, which is normally available to qualified low-income households for $9.95/month. This goes into effect Monday, March 16. We're also increasing the service's speed from 25/3 Mbps to 50/3 Mbps for 60 days. The speed increase will go into effect Tuesday, March 17…Learn More

            March 13 - Cox Statement on help for customers impacted by Coronavirus With the ongoing Coronavirus crisis, we don't want our customers who are impacted to worry about losing their Cox services. If you're impacted and are unable to make a payment by your due date, log in to My Account on Cox.com or reach out to our customer service representatives through text, phone or chat for options. Ask about Promise to Pay and Promise to Pay with Extension options which will limit late payment reminders or give you more time to pay without worrying about interruption to your Cox services. To review your options, sign in to My Account and review the My Bill card. If you see the message, "Can't pay today? Request help here," click through to visit the Payment Arrangement Options page. There, you'll see options to schedule a future payment beyond your current due date or request additional time to make a payment later. Follow the remaining two steps for either option to complete your payment arrangement online. If you do not see the 'Can't pay today?' options in My Account, please call 1-844-221-3930 to speak with a special team representative Monday through Friday. To text a representative, type 54512 on your mobile phone or visit www.cox.com/chat for support any time. Additionally, representatives are also available in our Cox retail stores. To find a retail location, visit www.cox.com/retail.

              Frontier

              Response to Covid-19 - covers internal operations indicates Frontier has no caps on its internet service. However, Frontier is listed on the FCC's webpage as taking the pledge not to disconnect customers for the next 60 days.

                Sprint

                E-LEARNING INITITATIVE: Sprint's 1Million Project Foundation, which supports 350,000 high school students who lack critical internet access at home, is working to accelerate receipt of more than 100,000 new devices intended for use next school year so that it can deploy them as soon as possible to respond to the new environment. https://www.ctia.org/news/blog-wireless-industry-responds-to-covid-19

                  T-Mobile

                  HOME INTERNET SERVICE: The company has no data cap for its home internet service. All current T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile wireless customers who have cell-phone plans with data will be granted unlimited smartphone data for the next 60 days (excluding roaming). They'll also receive an additional 20GB of mobile hot spot/tethering service for those two months. The company is working to provide Lifeline low-income customers with up to 5GB of free data per month over the next two months. E-LEARNING INITIATIVE: T-Mobile is increasing the data allowance for free to schools and students using our EmpowerED digital learning programs to ensure each participant has access to at least 20GB of data per month for the next 60 days. https://www.ctia.org/news/blog-wireless-industry-responds-to-covid-19

                    Verizon

                    HOME FIOS INTERNET SERVICES: The company recently increased speeds at no extra cost on some mid-tier FIOS services, bumping the 100 Mbps tier to 200 Mbps and the 200 Mbps tier to 300 Mbps. The company reports that it places no data caps on its home internet broadband services. Verizon also offers a low-cost Lifeline plan for qualified families.

                    E-LEARNING INITITIVE: Verizon announced support for relief efforts across communities impacted by the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by tripling its monthly data allowance for its Verizon Innovative Learning schools and committing $10 million to nonprofits directed at supporting students and first responders.

                    STORE HOURS: A letter from Hans Vestberg on Verizon's response to COVID-19 "As part of our next phase, we are reducing the number of Verizon stores that remain open. However, our customers can still get the support and services they need 24/7 by visiting verizonwireless.com/support/, calling 800.922.0204 or using the MyVerizon app."

                    FCC PLEDGE: FCC Pledge 3/13/2020 Press Release re: Verizon will help customers and small businesses disrupted by impact of coronavirus "During this unprecedented period challenging the world's health and economy, Verizon announced today, for the next 60 days, it will waive late fees that any residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus. In addition, the company will not terminate service to any residential or small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus." 

                    NETWORK: 3/12/2020 Press Release: Verizon's networks stand ready for increases in data traffic: Since the emergence of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the company has not seen a measurable increase in data usage-despite some businesses, schools and other organizations now asking employees to work remotely and students to take classes online. Verizon's networks are designed and built to meet future demand and are ready should demand increase or usage patterns change significantly. Like any crisis or significant event in which additional network resources may be needed, the company is able to deploy additional resources to add capacity and has a fleet of mobile assets including portable COLTs (cells on light trucks) and COWs (cells on wheels/trucks), mobile charging stations, and more to support first responders and their mission critical needs…. We offer priority access to our network for first responders and public safety officials."