If you live in NYC and your internet bill looks anything like the national average — somewhere north of $70 a month — you may be overpaying by a factor of five. Between New York State’s Affordable Broadband Act, Big Apple Connect for NYCHA residents, and the federal Lifeline program, eligible New Yorkers can stack benefits to land a home internet plan for as little as $5.75 a month. The catch is that the providers do not advertise these prices, and most New Yorkers who qualify do not realize they qualify. Here is the full stack, the eligibility rules, and the phone numbers to call this week.
Layer 1: The Affordable Broadband Act ($15 or $20)
The cornerstone is the New York State Affordable Broadband Act (ABA). According to the official program page at ACCESS NYC, the ABA is a permanent law — it is not the expired federal Affordable Connectivity Program, and it is not going away. It requires every large internet provider operating in New York to offer eligible households one of two plans:
- $15 a month for 25 Mbps or faster, or
- $20 a month for 200 Mbps or faster.
Those prices already include taxes and equipment fees, and providers cannot require you to bundle phone or cable. Mobile and dial-up service are not covered. Speeds, plans, and providers depend on your address.
Eligibility requires that someone in your household receives at least one of the following: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE), Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE), an affordability benefit from a utility such as the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), or free or reduced-price school lunch through the National School Lunch Program. If none of those apply, you may still qualify based on income — every ISP sets its own income limit, so call yours and ask.
The state-run broadband map at mapmybroadband.dps.ny.gov will show you every ISP that serves your specific address. Programs to ask about by name include Spectrum Internet Assist, Optimum Advantage, and Verizon Forward — these are how the three largest NYC providers comply with the ABA. Verify your eligibility directly with the ISP; documentation requirements vary by provider.
Layer 2: Big Apple Connect ($0 if You Live in NYCHA)
If your address is in one of the participating NYCHA developments, you do not need the ABA — you skip straight to free. According to the official program page at ACCESS NYC, Big Apple Connect provides home internet and basic cable TV for as low as $0 a month for NYCHA residents through either Optimum or Spectrum, depending on which provider serves your development. The program launched in September 2022 and was extended through June 2028.
Existing Optimum and Spectrum customers in covered developments will see their bills automatically reduced — you do not have to switch providers or shop a new plan. New customers can sign up by calling directly:
- Optimum: 866-580-1410
- Spectrum: 866-960-1754
The list of covered NYCHA developments is at nyc.gov/assets/bigappleconnect.
Layer 3: Lifeline ($9.25 Off, Stackable with ABA)
The federal Lifeline program provides a $9.25 monthly discount to households receiving SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, and other qualifying benefits. Crucially, you can apply Lifeline on top of a state ABA plan with a participating provider. If you stack a $9.25 Lifeline credit on a $15 ABA plan, your internet bill drops to $5.75 a month.
Lifeline eligibility largely overlaps with ABA eligibility, so if you qualify for one you likely qualify for the other. The same Lifeline benefit can be applied to either home internet or mobile phone service — not both at once per household. We covered the Lifeline cell phone pathway in our recent guide; the internet version follows the same federal eligibility rules.
Layer 4: Neighborhood Internet (Bronx and Upper Manhattan in 2026)
In 2026, the city expanded its Neighborhood Internet program — a partnership between NYC and the New York Public Library — to bring free high-speed broadband into low-income apartment buildings in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. This is building-level service: if your landlord opts in, every tenant in the building gets connectivity at no cost. Ask your building management if your address is participating, or call 311 for current covered locations.
The Stack: Putting It All Together
Here is the simple decision tree for any NYC household trying to lower the home internet bill in 2026:
- If you live in NYCHA: Call Optimum or Spectrum and ask to enroll in Big Apple Connect. Your bill should drop to $0.
- If your building is covered by Neighborhood Internet: You may not need a personal ISP plan at all. Ask building management.
- If you receive SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, SCRIE, DRIE, HEAP, or free/reduced-price school lunch: Call your current ISP and ask for their Affordable Broadband Act plan ($15 for 25 Mbps or $20 for 200 Mbps). Then apply Lifeline on top.
- If you do not currently receive any of those benefits but have modest income: Call your ISP and ask whether you qualify for the ABA on an income basis. Limits vary by provider.
You can compare the broader landscape of NYC internet options in our side-by-side breakdown of Big Apple Connect, Lifeline, Verizon Forward, and Spectrum Internet Assist.
Action Steps This Week
- Check whether your address is in a covered NYCHA development at nyc.gov/assets/bigappleconnect. If yes, call Optimum (866-580-1410) or Spectrum (866-960-1754) today.
- If not NYCHA, look up your ISP at mapmybroadband.dps.ny.gov.
- Call that ISP and explicitly ask for the Affordable Broadband Act plan. Use the term — front-line reps sometimes miss it if you ask for “the discount.”
- If you receive SNAP, Medicaid, or SSI, apply for Lifeline through your provider and stack it on top.
- For any questions, call 311 — the city handles ABA and Big Apple Connect referrals at no cost.
- Document everything. If a provider refuses to honor the ABA plan despite your eligibility, file a complaint with the New York State Department of Public Service.
For most New Yorkers reading this, the difference between paying $70 a month and paying $5.75 a month is one phone call and a few minutes of paperwork. The state passed the law specifically because too many people leave the savings on the table — do not be one of them.
