Free Internet for Life Stopped Suddenly and representative was really mean about it

I just want to know how one qualified for FREE INTERNET FOR LIFE.

I’ve had ATT Internet for 17 years, wireless before that (Cingular anyone), home phone service since 1972 (that’s 52 years) and have never been offered FREE INTERNET FOR LIFE. 

I am now on a fixed income and any discounts I once had have now evaporated.  So if you even got FREE INTERNET for the last 5-6 years, you’re doing better than most.  😡😡😡

Posts containing personal attacks can & will be removed as per the FORUM GUIDELINES

I question the dates….

If had ATT ACCESS account in 2018/2019 the cost would have been $10 a month for internet 10 or internet 5, best the address could support out of these two. If best speed was internet 3 or lower the monthly cost would have been $5 per month instead of $10.

ATT ACCESS was originally to run from April 2016 to April 2020, but Covid happened in 2020 and ATT decided to continue the program. The first Government program was EBB… The EBB Program ended on December 31, 2021 with 9,048,536 households enrolled. The EBB Program was replaced by the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) on December 31, 2021.

ACP offered internet cost up to $30 per month. ATT changed their their original ACCESS program to include a 3rd pricing tier of $30 for speed up to 100. So copper based speed tiers greater than 10 which includes 12, 18, 24, 25, 45, 50, 75 and 100 could be had for $30 and direct fiber FTTP speed 100 could be had for $30. In effect your internet starting in January 2022 could be free (for life) as long as you remained qualified and the government program did not run out of money. 

But the government program funding was not renewed and all providers would stop receiving the $30 to cover internet. ATT stated earlier this year they would continue offering their ACCESS program for $30 a month but the account holder would be responsible for the cost if they continued enrollment into the ACCESS. 

Government money ran out, you have not cancelled your enrollment, therefore billed the $30…. You called to lower the monthly amount, the representative placed you on a lower speed tier for $10. Somewhere along the way I recall ATT raising the internet speed from 10 to 25 for the $10 per month program, likely 2020 or 2021. 

My conclusion…

So your letter or document about free internet up to internet 100 would have been for ACP (2022), ATT charging $30 and government paying $30…. Thus not free as US taxpayers were paying for the program, not you directly. Funds depleted you are responsible for the $30 if wish to keep your speed tier up to internet 100. Not wishing to pay $30 options include cancelling your service with returning equipment, change to internet 300 for $60 per month for fiber accounts (standard full billing), or reduce speed tier to qualify for $10 per month internet. 

edit…

ACCESS for $30 per month includes unlimited data while ACCESS for $10 per month has a data cap of 1.5T with overage charges of $10/50G up to $100 per month.

https://www.att.com/internet/access/#

What is the Access from AT&T program and how do I know if I’m eligible?

Thank you for the detailed info, mythoughts. I’ll hunt down the letter. Things got wonky moving back and forth from NY during covid and family crises of those years, so it’s hard to pin down exactly what happened when. The math still isn't mathing though cause bills are showing $60 with $30/$30 split, but some other bills list $1 from one or the other program, or only 1 program/"discount" line? Generally, I didn't download a pdf for a $0 bill, so I didn't notice how the difference shook out. And another user on this forum had the same letter which was separate from ACP/EBB, though I had both programs depending on when/where I was at the time, and was always told that I was just funneled into the AT&T thing because of my status/circumstances.

Okay I guess this is when my long memory is sort of helpful. Only in that I do remember AT&T having " free internet for life" But there were caveats. It wasn't a standalone service there were requirements in order to keep the internet service " free". And it was limited service.

Just to put reasonable expectations on things, even things that are supposedly " for life" Do change because life changes. If this was DSL service and AT&T is forced to replace DSL copper in your area, you will be forced off of the free internet.  So start looking for an alternate just in case. 

@formerlyknownas   I found that same info (simple Google search) but when the OP failed to mention  a connection to a wireless plan, I thought perhaps there was some “special” deal out there.  🤷‍♂️

ETA:  At least now I understand how and why some customers qualified for Free Internet for Life.  I thought it was some special stand alone program but see that it was a perk with a Wireless plan.

 I find that a lot of people have short memories.   It used to drive my husband crazy because I remembered things and he would ask me how the heck do you remember that. And I would start drawing all the connections... 

     When I said it was time to purchase a new computer and he said "we just bought that one"... And I said no that was over 10 years ago We bought that computer when N*** was 5, The same year we put in the pool.

@formerlyknownas 

Thank you, having been a Uverse Premise Tech I was more aware of the hardwired offers we were installing and maintaining including the DirecTv offers, not paying much attention to the cellular side except for the Fixed Wireless home internet offerings and some of the hotspots used by RVers in the mid 2010s known as WHPI or whole home phone / internet. 

As Hercule Poirot would say ...

"The little gray cells must exercise or they grow rust"

😆

But now the question is did the original poster change their wireless plan?