With advancement in modern technology, good internet connection is longer a luxury but a necessity. This is because you need it to keep in touch with those whom you love, work online, learn online, access emergency health care among other functions. Although a good internet connection offers the above-mentioned benefits, it comes at a cost.
Thankfully, Optimum is now offering free internet for those who are eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program. To put this into perspective, be sure that you will enjoy free 300 Mbps internet and a discount amounting to $30 per month. The good news is that this program is now available for both new and existing Optimum customers. This will go a long way in enabling you reduce your overall monthly internet bills. In this article, we shall take a closer look at how you can get Optimum free internet, alongside other related ideas.
Does Optimum Offer Free internet for College Students?
Yes. In order to keep the students connected during the pandemic, this carrier is now offering Altice Advantage Internet free of charge for a period of 60 days. In case your household has a student in college or K-12, be sure that you will enjoy this free internet.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic made many college students to get displaced as a result of school closures, it has become a lifesaver for them as they can now learn and be connected more affordably. In addition, this program has played a critical role in enabling those students without internet access during the pandemic to remain connected and learn online from the comfort of their homes.
Like we previously mentioned, this program was to run for 60 days. Once the 60 days have elapsed, all the beneficiaries can either choose to cancel the service or better still, consider paying it like a normal internet service.
If the choose the latter, they will only be required to pay $14.99 per month, where they will not be tied to any annual contract and will enjoy free equipment. To sign up, you should feel free to dial 886.200.9522. Better still, you can visit “alticeadvantageinternet.com” for more details.
Who Qualifies Optimum Free Internet
Optimum is one of the many service providers who participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program. With this program in place, you will be able to reduce your overall monthly internet bills as you will enjoy high speed internet free of charge.
However, not everyone is bound to enjoy these benefits. You must be eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program for you to enjoy the above-mentioned benefit. Here are the requirements that one should meet so that he or she can be eligible for this carrier’s ACP program:
1. You have a low income
If you are a low-income earner, you can now apply for Optimum’s Affordable Connectivity Program. However, your income must stand at or be below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Therefore, you can check what the Federal Poverty Guidelines of your state stipulate so that you can know whether you meet the much-needed threshold or not.
2. You are a participant of a government-assistance program
Besides being a low-income earner, you can now enjoy this carrier’s ACP benefits if you are a participant in a government-assistance program. Some of these programs include:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP)
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Security Income(SSI)
- Veteran and Survivors Pension Benefit
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
- Tribally-Administered Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
- Tribal Head Start
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children(WIC) benefit
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
- You are a beneficiary of free or reduced-price school breakfast or lunch via the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
- You are a beneficiary of a Federal Pell Grant in the current award year.
- You enrolled in a school that offered free school lunch and breakfast to all students via the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)-Thankfully, most public schools in New York City qualify.
What Documents Needs To Apply For Optimum Free Internet
When applying for Optimum free internet, there is an array of documents that must submit. By submitting these documents, you will be able to prove your identity and also prove your eligibility status for the ACP program. Here is a breakdown of the documents that you should submit:
1. Personal Documents
You have to submit an official document that bares your official name in full, date of birth and your physical address in order to verify your identity. Some of the personal documents that contain these finer details include:
- Your government-issued ID
- Your passport
- Your state, Tribal or state ID
- Your birth certificate
- Your U.S Driver’s license
- Your Green card or permanent resident card
- Your certificate of U.S naturalization or citizenship.
2. Eligibility documents
Besides the personal documents mentioned above, you need to submit an official document that shows your eligibility status. This can be a proof of low-income or participation in a government assistance program.
In case you want to prove that your income stands at or is below 200%, here are some documents that can help you prove that:
- Your prior year’s federal, state or Tribal tax return
- Your Social Security statement of benefits
- Your current income statement from your employer
- Your paycheck stub
- Any other document that shows your current income or pension or retirement statement of benefits.
- A document that shows that your household benefited from the free and reduced-price school breakfast program or lunch program.
- An official document indicating that you are a beneficiary of a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year.
When applying for this carrier’s ACP program, you should ensure that you are 18 years and above. In case you are an emancipated minor, you can go ahead and apply for this program as well. However, you must submit a document that proves your emancipated minor status. Some of the documents that can help you prove this include a certificate of emancipation or an official court document.
How Do I Apply For Optimum Free Internet
Once you have gathered the above-mentioned personal and eligibility documents, you can now go ahead and apply for Optimal Free internet offered by the ACP program. Here are the steps that can help you get started:
- To start with, ensure that you are eligible to apply for this carrier’s ACP. Thankfully, you can now know your eligibility status by using the National Verifier. To establish your eligibility status, you can visit https://nv.fcc.gov/lifeline/?id=nv_flow&ebbp=true and then key in your first name, middle name and last name in the empty fields that you will find on your screen. Also, you need to key in your date of birth and then choose how you want your identity verified. Lastly, you will be needed to key in your home’s address and then choose whether you qualify via your child or a dependent. Thereafter, click on the ‘Next’ button. The National Verifier will help you establish whether you are eligible for this program or not. More importantly, you should be the actual Optimum account owner when verifying your eligibility status.
- In case you are not a customer, visit https://order.optimum.com/Buyflow/Storefront and key in vital details such as your street address, apartment, city, state and ZIP code. Thereafter, click on the ‘Continue’ button. However, if you are an existing customer, proceed to the next step.
- Complete the application process by visiting “solixconsulting.force.com/AlticeBroadbandACP/s/?language=en_US”. Here, you will be able to apply for ACP credit to your Optimum account.
- Once you apply for the ACP credit, you will be able to know the fate of your application letter within a period of 5 days.
- In case you are approved, you will be able to enjoy this credit within 2 billing cycles. This will go a long way in offering the much-needed relief on your monthly internet bills.
Optimum Free Internet Plan
Like we previously mentioned, Optimum is one of the many participant of the ACP. In case you are eligible for this program, you will be able to enjoy free 300 Mbps internet. Here, you will be able to remain connected and enjoy discounts of up to $30 per month for those who live on non-tribal lands.
In case you reside in Tribal lands, you will enjoy discounts amounting to $75 per month. Since this program offers credit towards the customer’s monthly billing cycles, be sure that you will be able to enjoy high speed internet almost free of charge.
How Do I Get Free Optimum Internet If I Not Qualifying ACP
In case you do not qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program offered by this carrier, you can still enjoy free internet by using the various hotspots offered by this carrier. As we speak, this carrier has more than 2 million Wi-Fi access points spread nationwide where you can visit and connect your device to the internet free of charge.
All you need to do is to register your device once and you will be able to connect your device to the internet once you arrive at an area with a hotspot access. For more details, visit optimum.net/internet/hotspots.
Other Optimum Internet Plan
Optimum is one of the few carriers that have affordable plans in the US. Thankfully, these plans come with incredible offers that will mesmerize you. Some of these plans include:
| Optimum plan name | Price | Download speed | Upload speed | Connection Type |
| Optimum 100 | $29.99 per month | 100 Mbps | 5 Mbps | Cable |
| Optimum 300 | $39.99 per month | 300 Mbps | 20 Mbps | Cable |
| Optimum 500 | $59.99 per month | 500 Mbps | 20 Mbps | Cable |
| Fiber Internet 100 | $29.99 per month | 100 Mbps | 100 Mbps | Fiber |
| Fiber Internet 300 | $39.99 per month | 300 Mbps | 300 Mbps | Fiber |
| Fiber Internet 500 | $59.99 per month | 500 Mbps | 500 Mbps | Fiber |
| Optimum 1 Gig internet | $79.99 per month | 940 Mbps | 35 Mbps | Cable |
| Fiber Internet 1 Gig | $79.99 per month | 940 Mbps | 940 Mbps | Fiber |
How do I get a free Wi-Fi/hotspot from Optimum?
To enjoy a free hotspot from Optimum, consider visiting an area that has this carrier’s hotspot and then go to your phone’s Settings section, choose Wi-Fi settings and then switch it on. Once you see the ‘Optimumwifi Emergency’ network name, click it and you will be good to go.
Are Optimum hotspots Unlimited?
Yes. However, you must be an Optimum Online customer. This means that you must have an Optimum Online account. Better still, if you are a subscriber to any of the following carriers, be sure that you will enjoy this service free of charge:
- Comcast Xfinity
- Time Warner Cable Internet
- Brighthouse Internet & Cox Internet
However, if you are neither an Optimum Online customer nor a subscriber to any of the above-mentioned carriers, consider using a free day pass or buy a day pass.
