COVID-19
Digital Connectivity
Resources
Disclaimer: The list below illustrates our current findings. We will be updating this and all other COVID-19 related resource pages as we discover more information. The information provided here and on other pages has been taken as directly as possible from their original sources, all of which have been linked appropriately.
LGBT Tech does not endorse the companies listed below. We simply want to make as many resources as possible available to those who need them.
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Until further notice, Atlantic Broadband 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 pandemic.
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Until further notice, Atlantic Broadband will waive any late fees that any residential or small business customers might normally incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic.
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In keeping with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's "Keep Americans Connected Pledge," AT&T has extended its committed services to June 30, 2020.
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The company will be suspending broadband usage caps for home internet customers. AT&T won't charge coverage fees while people are home using more data.
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AT&T will continue to offer internet access for qualifying limited-income households at $10/month through their Access from AT&T program.
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The company won’t terminate service of any wireless, home phone or broadband residential or small business customer due to an inability to pay their bill due to inabilities created by the epidemic. AT&T will also waive late payment fees for customers.
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New Access from AT&T customers will receive two months of free service.
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AT&T has resources from Common Sense Media for parents of children and teenagers to help their children stay safe online.
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Broadband program for low income families and seniors offering high speed broadband to eligible households through our industry-leading low-cost program – Spectrum Internet Assist.
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No penalty for disconnection for consumers that no longer need at-home internet access—as always Charter has no long-term contracts and consumers can cancel service at any time.
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Supporting small businesses with a month of free services to new business customers.
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Investing in minority-owned small businesses by partnering with the National Urban League and National Action Network on a $10 million investment to increase access to much-needed low-interest capital.
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The company is offering limited-time, first month free of Connect2Compete service, $9.95/month thereafter.
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Until May 15, 2020, Cox Communications is providing phone and remote desktop support through Cox Complete Care at no charge to provide peace of mind and ease for technology needs.
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Cox Communications is also offering resources for discounted, refurbished equipment through their association with PCs for People.
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In keeping with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's "Keep Americans Connected Pledge," Comcast has extended its committed services to June 30, 2020.
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Comcast is pausing data plans until June 30, 2020 and giving all customers Unlimited data for no additional charge.
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Comcast will not disconnect a customer’s internet service or assess late fees for customers who contact the company and are unable to pay during the epidemic. Comcast's care teams will be available to offer flexible payment options and to help find other solutions.
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New Comcast customers will receive complimentary Internet Essentials service June 30, 2020. Internet Essentials 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 has been 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.
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Starting now, all current T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers have unlimited smartphone data for the next 60 days (excluding roaming).
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The company will be providing all T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers an additional 20GB of mobile hotspot/tethering service for the next 60 days coming soon.
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T-Mobile is working with their Lifeline partners to provide customers extra free data up to 5GB per month over the next two months.
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The company will not terminate service to any residential or small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills due to the disruptions caused by COVID-19.
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US Cellular will also waive any late fees that any residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through their Coronavirus Action Center, USTelecom provides a wealth of resources for individuals on how to protect themselves and their data during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their 5 Tips for Staying Connected and 6 Tips to Thwart COVID-19 Cyberscams are two resources to help households maintain secure online connections while practicing social distancing.
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The company will waive overage charges and late fees to support customers who may be financially affected by COVID-19.
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Verizon will offer two months of waived internet and voice service charges for current Lifeline customers and new affordable internet option for low-income households.
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Verizon has added 15GB of high speed data for wireless consumer and small business customers to be automatically applied with no customer action necessary.
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Verizon is offering new affordable internet plans for low-income households. Qualified customers can purchase Fios 200/200Mbps home internet service for just $19.99/month with a free year of Disney+ and no router rental charges for two months.
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Consumer and small business Fios and DSL broadband internet plans have no data caps.
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Verizon is adding 15GB of data for no charge to the plans of wireless and small business customers on metered plans, 15GB of 4G LTE hotspot data to wireless customers on unlimited plans, and 15GB of data to Jetpack plans.
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Free international calling to CDC level 3 countries to keep customers connected.
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Verizon is offering unlimited domestic calling to wireless customers on limited-minute plans through April 30.
Hotspots
The company is keeping their public Wi-Fi hotspots open for anyone who needs them until June 30, 2020.
Charter will open its Wi-Fi hotspots across their footprint for public use.
Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country will be available to anyone who needs them for free – including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers - until June 30, 2020. For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, visit www.xfinity.com/wifi. Once at a hotspot, users should select the “xfinitywifi” network name in the list of available hotspots and then launch a browser.
Education
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In addition to their newly-created Distance Learning and Family Connections Fund, AT&T has partnered with Google and the Khan Academy to make online resources accessible for parents, students, and teachers.
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The company is underwriting expenses for a “one-stop” resource center to support the State Educational Technology Directors Association's (SETDA) eLearning Coalition. The resource center is available for all educators dealing with school closings to focus on virtual learning.
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AT&T is also helping businesses and universities set up virtual offices and classrooms with conference call and video conferencing with Cisco Webex Meetings with AT&T. The company is also allowing businesses to forward calls to both mobile and landline phones with AT&T IP Flexible Reach.
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For households participating in the National School Lunch Program and Head Start, AT&T has expanded eligibility to Access from AT&T.
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AT&T Summer Learning Academy is offering a free, unpaid self-paced online "externship" for college students. The program runs from June 22 - July 20. Registration opens June 12.
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The company is partnering with school districts to make sure local communities are aware of these tools to help students learn remotely.
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Charter is offering free Spectrum Internet and WiFi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students, and now educators, who do not already have a Spectrum Internet subscription.
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Charter has launched their Spectrum Scholars initiative which offers $400,000 worth in scholarships to eligible college students.
Cox is providing a Learn from Home toolkit for schools, including instructions on how to fast-track eligible students without internet access.
Comcast has created new educational collections for all grade levels in partnership with Common Sense Media. To access, Comcast users should say “education” into their X1 or Flex voice remote. To help keep customers informed, Comcast has also created a collection of the most current news and information on COVID-19. Comcast users should say “Coronavirus” into their X1 or Flex voice remote.
CTIA's Connecting Kids Innitiative provides online resources for parents, teachers, and school districts to help children continue their education in spite of COVID-19. Anyone interested can apply at the link above.
The Smithsonian currently offers resources to teachers and students through their Distance Learning Lab. Resources include over a million images, recordings, and texts. Smithsonian offers tutorials on how to access these resources as well as lesson plans for educators.
Made possible by Google, AT&T, HP and PwC Charitable Foundation, the new TIME for Kids digital library will be available for free for the remainder of the school year.
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The company's EmpowerED 2.0 Program provides eligible schools with wireless devices and services plans. Interested schools can apply on the website.
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T-Mobile's 1Million Project Foundation provides school districts with technology and service plans for their students. Current, the 1Million Project Foundation is doubling its data allotment to participating districts from 10 to 20 GB per month through June 30,2020, as well as providing schools with additional devices and expanding the program to include grades K-12.
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T-Mobile plans to expand the 1Million Project Foundation with their upcoming Project 10Million. Eligible families in the U.S. and Puerto Rico will receive up to 100GB of free internet access each year, one free Mobile Wi-Fi enabled hotspot, and the option to purchase select Wi-Fi enabled devices at the company’s cost. Like all T-Mobile customers, Project 10Million participants will also benefit from the company's new 5G network.
The company's 5 Tips for Online Learning provides helpful advice for families adjusting to educating from home.
The company is tripling their data allowance for Verizon Innovative Learning schools, with $10 million for nonprofits directed at supporting students and first responders.
