Comcast, Charter 60 Days Free Internet to Homes with Students

COMCAST 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.

March 13, 2020- Comcast and Charter announced Friday, March 13, 2020, that they will offer 60 days of complimentary broadband to homes with K-12 and/or college students. For households that do not already have a subscription, Charter said that it will provide free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi up to 100 Mbps, and that installation fees will be waived.

To enroll for Comcast’s free service, call 855- 846-8376 for English speakers or 855-765-6995 for Spanish speakers, or go to www.internetessentials.com; for Charter’s service, call 844-488-8395.

As many Southland educational institutions are closing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a pair of internet providers today announced plans to provide free internet to households with students.

Comcast and Charter announced Friday that they would offer 60 days of complimentary broadband to homes with K-12 and/or college students.

Comcast will waive fees for its Internet Essentials service to low-income households, President of Consumer Services Dana Strong said in a written statement.

Strong also said that the company will increase internet speed for the service from 15/2 Mbps to 25/3 Mbps for both new and existing customers and that the service will continue at that speed from now on. He said the new speeds are expected to be rolled out nationally over the next few days.

Comcast is taking steps to implement the following new policies for the next 60 days:

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.

Comcast intended 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.

New Comcast customers will be sent a self-install kit that includes a cable modem with a Wi-Fi router.

For households that do not already have a subscription, Charter said that beginning Monday, it will provide free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi up to 100 Mbps, and that installation fees will be waived.

The company also said it will partner with school districts to ensure local communities are aware of the offer, and that for eligible low-income households with school-aged children, it would continue to offer Spectrum Internet Assist, a low-cost broadband program delivering speeds of 30 Mbps. It also pledged to open its Wi-Fi hotspots for public use without data caps or hidden fees.

To enroll for Comcast’s service, call 855- 846-8376 for English speakers or 855-765-6995 for Spanish speakers, or go to www.internetessentials.com; for Charter’s service, call 844-488-8395.