Verizon announced today an extension to its internet offer providing discounted rates to low-income consumers under the Lifeline program. That means new customers will receive a $20 discount on their monthly internet bill until the rest of the year, assuming they are eligible for the offer.
To receive the discount, customers must qualify for the U.S. government-backed Lifeline program. The discount applies to any of Verizon"s Fios Mix & Match internet plans. After applying AutoPay and the income discounts, the 200/200 Mbps plan will cost $19.99 per month, and $39.99 per month will get you the 400/400 Mbps plan. A Gigabit connection of up to 940/880 Mbps will cost $59.99 a month, including a Fios router.
Additional benefits for eligible consumers include a free one year of Disney+ or Hulu, waived router rental fees for the first 60 days, and other promotions available upon sign-up. Verizon will continue to accept new registrations through the rest of 2020. However, eligibility for the program varies by state.
The company noted that this offering began in April of this year as a part of efforts to help low-income households keep connected to the web during the coronavirus pandemic. In March of this year, Verizon also offered 15GB of additional mobile data per month to consumers and small businesses with no additional charge.