Got children and no internet in Kentucky? Here’s how to get free or low-cost service.
Some service providers are expanding web access to households with school-age children and others are pledging not to terminate services for nonpayment as many Kentucky households become dependent on the internet for school and work.
With 172 Kentucky public school districts closed and most using internet-based learning over the next several weeks in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, getting and maintaining internet access has become a necessity.
An estimated 17 percent of U.S. students do not have access to computers at home and 18 percent do not have home access to broadband internet, according to an Associated Press analysis of census data.
Spectrum announced this week that it would provide free internet access for at least 60 days to households with school-age children, including college students. To enroll call 1-844-488-8395. Installation fees will be waived for new, student households.
For low-income households that may need internet access but do not have school-age children, Spectrum has a low-cost option called Spectrum Internet Assist delivering speeds of 30 Mbps. To find out how to sign up for that service and who qualifies go to www.spectrumInternetAssist.com or call 1-844-525-1574.
AT&T, which provides internet service in many areas in Kentucky including Eastern Kentucky, has pledged not to turn off anyone’s internet service for nonpayment for the next 60 days, according to an announcement posted on its web site on Saturday. It will also waive any late fees for nonpayment. AT&T also has a low-cost internet option available for lower-income households called Assist that is typically $10 a month. Call 1-800-288-2020 to find out more.
Windstream, which offers services through its program Kinetic, said it has also signed on to the Federal Communications Commission’s Keep America Connected Initiative. That means it will not terminate people for nonpayment for the next 60 days nor will it charge late fees, said David Avery, a Windstream spokesperson.
Windstream and other Internet providers participate in Lifeline, a federal program that provides discounted phone or internet services for qualifying low-income households. The FCC announced Tuesday that people in that program will not have to re-apply or re-certify for the next 60 days.
MetroNet is offering speed upgrades to customers who may need it. The company provides broadband service in Fayette County and is starting to expand to surrounding counties.
MetroNet officials said customers who can not make payments due to financial insecurity due to the coronavirus should contact MetroNet via email at customer_service@metronetinc.com or by calling 1-877-407-3224 .
Will more workers, children at home slow speeds?
MetroNet is notifying its subscribers Tuesday of a number of ways it can support them with likely increased household internet needs, like no obligation speed upgrades to all customers that need additional capacity for remote working, online classes, and general increased internet needs for streaming and gaming,” said Hayley Marchionda Pugel, a MetroNet spokeswoman.
“Healthcare sites and hospitals are all being contacted to provide incremental Gigabits of speed to assure they stay online and connected,” Pugel said.
Providers are also bracing for a surge in usage as most of the country is working and learning from home, taxing internet speeds and reliability.
Charter Communications and Spectrum has more than 29 million customers in 41 states.
“The network is built to sustain maximum capacity during peak usage which is typically in the evenings, so a surge during the day would be well within the network’s capabilities to manage,” the company said in a statement. “Charter will continue to closely monitor this dynamic situation.”
Windstream officials said it has not seen a dramatic uptick in usage.
Yet.
“We have seen no measurable increase in data usage as a result of the outbreak,” said Avery.” We continuously monitor bandwidth usage with tools that analyze network statistics and provide us with performance and capacity reports that help us manage the network.”
Windstream did not immediately respond to questions on whether it will offer discounts to low-income households with school-age children.
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 1:40 PM.
