Verizon DSL Users Aren’t Eligible for Recent Low-Income Offers


By

on

in


Verizon logo

Verizon logoWhile hundreds of broadband companies and telcos have taken the Federal Communications Commission up on its Keep Americans Connected pledge, several of the deals on offer come with significant restrictions within the fine print. Case in point: Verizon’s offer of temporary free service for low-income households does not extend to the company’s DSL customers, Ars Technica reports.

In late March, Verizon announced a series of moves aimed at providing help and relief to customers during the COVID-19 pandemic, including removing monthly data caps and adding 15GB of free high-speed data. Among those options is an offer for two free months of internet and voice service for those on the company’s Lifeline assistance service. For new low-income subscribers outside the Lifeline service, a $20 discount brings 200 Mbps internet down to $19.99 per month. However, Ars reports that those offers are only available in the company’s FiOS service areas and not in its DSL regions.

The site also spoke to the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, which has been recording the various low-cost offers companies have announced during the pandemic.

“By not including DSL, their most vulnerable customers are being left out of a valuable resource. This includes the low-income communities in underserved cities such as Buffalo and Baltimore,” Angela Siefer, NDIA’s executive director, told Ars.

The NDIA has also been issuing guidance and alerts regarding free and low-cost internet offers, offering pros and cons of offers from several providers. While Comcast generally fared well, companies like CenturyLink, Frontier, and Windstream earned criticism in a March 26th report for not offering COVID-19-related discounts.

Perhaps one takeaway from these offers and deals is that despite the announcements and proclamations of good will toward customers, these are still large corporations at the end of the day. And while many of these moves certainly provide relief to customers, it’s well worth digging into the fine print.

For those interested in seeing if they’re eligible for free or discounted service, you can check out the NDIA’s sortable list here.

Did you know we have a YouTube Channel? Every week we have a live Cord Cutting Q&A, and weekly Cord Cutting recap shows exclusively on our YouTube Channel!

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more news, tips, and reviews. Need cord cutting tech support? Join our Cord Cutting Tech Support Facebook Group for help.

 

Disclaimer: To address the growing use of ad blockers we now use affiliate links to sites like http://Amazon.com, streaming services, and others. Affiliate links help sites like Cord Cutters News, stay open. Affiliate links cost you nothing but help me support my family. We do not allow paid reviews on this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

* indicates required

Please select all the ways you would like to hear from :

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website.

We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp’s privacy practices here.