These are the four top internet service providers for veterans and active duty military families.
Best Internet Deals and Discounts for Veterans and Active Military
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The best internet service providers for veterans are AT&T, Xfinity, Verizon, and Viasat. Each of these companies has something special to offer veterans who want to get online, whether it’s a discount, a free plan, or great rural availability. And all these providers offer a $30 monthly discount for ACP qualifiers.
We’ll go over each of these internet service providers (ISPs) with a fine-toothed comb so you can figure out which one is best for you. But first, we want to talk about a few ways that you can get free internet for veterans.
If you're also looking for a new cell phone plan, we’ve written an in-depth review of the best cell phone plans for military and veteran families. You could save big with the right plan.
Free internet for veterans with government programs
Many military families are eligible for government help with their internet bill. The most important program to know about is called the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). With the ACP you can save money on plans with some of the best internet providers on the market.
Here are the details.
The Affordable Connectivity Program
The Affordable Connectivity Program started in 2021 as part of The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The program gives low-income families a monthly subsidy of $30 that can be used to pay your high-speed internet bill.
Many veterans (and others) are eligible for ACP. Here are some of the ways that you can qualify:
- If your income is 200% or less than the Federal Poverty Guidelines
- If you are on Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- If you receive Medicaid, SNAP, or veterans benefits
With the ACP benefit, there is free internet for disabled veterans, low-income veterans, and others who have a hard time paying their monthly bills. You can sign up by going to AffordableConnectivity.gov.
Other free internet government programs and discounts for seniors
There may be other government programs that can help veterans pay for internet in your area, like the ReConnect Program. Those over 65 years old may also qualify for specific senior citizen discounts from their internet providers.
AT&T Internet: Best Discount for Veterans
Want to pay less for your internet? Of course you do. With the AT&T internet veterans discount, you’ll get a full $15 a month off your monthly internet bill! You can apply that discount to any of the company's plans. Read on for all the details.
AT&T Internet speeds and performance
AT&T has one of the fastest and most reliable internet networks in the US. Much of the network is fiber-optic, which means you’ll get unrivaled performance with symmetrical upload and download speeds. It’s the perfect ISP for gamers, work-from-homers, and big families.
AT&T offers plans with data speeds as low as 50Mbps (in areas without fiber) and going all the way up to 5,000Mbps (that’s way more internet than pretty much anyone needs). Basically, AT&T has got every kind of user covered.
AT&T Internet plans and prices
AT&T’s prices aren’t really the cheapest (as you can see in the chart above). To get on one of the company’s fiber plans, you’ll spend at least $50 a month. Unless, of course, you’re an active-duty military family or a veteran, in which case you’ll get a nice discount.
The AT&T internet military discount is $15 a month, applied to whichever plan you choose. You can save even more money if you bundle up your internet, cable TV, and phone plans together.
Long story short: veterans who want the best performance possible should check out AT&T. Its prices might be a bit higher, but they’re reasonable once you apply your discount.
And for those who qualify for ACP, you can get the AT&T Access Internet plan with 100 Mbps download speeds for free.
Verizon Fios: Best Internet Performance
Verizon Fios Home Internet offers $5–$15 off your internet service each month. The faster the speed, the higher the discount. ACP qualifiers can also get $30 off per month with Verizon Fios.
Verizon Fios Internet speeds and performance
Verizon Fios’ internet service is usually the best of the best where it’s available. It runs on a totally fiber-optic network, which means amazing download speeds, incredible reliability, and symmetrical upload speeds.
In certain cities, Verizon also offers 5G Home Internet. This is a wireless internet service that works through a super-fast mobile 5G network. It’s often cheaper than other plans with comparable speeds, and you don’t have to deal with any fussy wires.
Verizon Fios Internet plans and prices
All of Verizon Fios's internet plans range in price from $50 to $90 a month. If you opt for 5G Home Internet, there are only two plans—the price ranges depending on where you live.
Verizon’s internet prices are average for the lower speeds, and one of the best for the higher speeds. And if you’re a veteran or part of an active military family, you can get a nice little discount.
Verizon’s veteran discount will depend on what plan you have. Here’s the breakdown:
300 Mbps plan: $5 off a month
500 Mbps plan: $10 off a month
Gigabit Connection: $15 off a month
Verizon also has military discounts for mobile service
Verizon Wireless is also discounted for veterans and active military families. The more lines you add, the cheaper the plan becomes.
So you can grab a 4-line plan for $25–$50 per month if you, your spouse, and two kids need cell phone service.
Xfinity: Best for Cheap Internet Plans
If you want to get the absolute best price on high-speed internet, Xfinity is the way to go. It offers incredible prices on cable internet plans, and if you’re a veteran who qualifies for the Affordable Connectivity Program, you can even get internet for free.
Xfinity Internet speeds and performance
Xfinity’s internet is powered by a high-speed cable internet network that can reach speeds over 1Gbps. That said, it won’t have the same upload speeds as fiber internet providers, like AT&T. But unless you’re a serious gamer or a very large household, that shouldn’t matter much.
Some of Xfinity’s cheapest plans come with a data cap, which means you may have to limit how much you use your internet (though a 1.2TB data cap is actually really high). All of the company’s higher-tier plans have an unlimited data cap so that you can go ahead and binge-watch the entire run of Friends without worry.
Xfinity Internet plans and prices
For those currently serving in the military or veterans, you can get a one-time $50 prepaid card when you verify your military status.
It's not the biggest discount, but it's something if you want to spend only $20 for 75 Mbps download speeds. (You can double-check with our speed guide if this is enough speed for you.)
If you opt for one of Xfinity’s cheapest internet plans, you could end up with Comcast's free internet for low-income households. The Connect plan, for example, would cost $0 a month if you are eligible for the government-run ACP subsidy of $30 a month.
Even if you aren’t eligible for ACP, Xfinity has an awesome range of cheap internet plans for veterans (and everyone else). While the faster plans, like Xfinity’s Gigabit Extra plan, may seem pricey, they tend to give you more than comparable plans from other ISPs.
Xfinity bundles
Another way to save money with Comcast Xfinity is by bundling. When you sign up for Xfinity internet you can also add on a home security, cable TV, or a mobile phone plan to get a discount.
For example, Xfinity Internet customers can get an unlimited data plan on Xfinity Mobile for just $45 a month. Or, if you switch to Xfinity's Fast Internet plan before December 5th, you can get a free Unlimited Intro mobile plan for two years.
Recap: What’s the best internet plan for veterans?
There are many high-speed internet service providers on the market right now. However, only a few offer special benefits for veterans. These four companies have the best military internet plans.
- Best military discount: If you’re looking for the best military discount on high-speed internet, AT&T Fiber is the way to go because it guarantees $15 off per month. AT&T can get you a lightning-fast fiber connection for a great price.
- Best performance: When it comes to overall speed and reliability, Verizon Fios Home Internet is the best ISP in the game. It also offers $5–$15 off for veterans (the higher the speed, the higher the discount).
- Best free internet: When you verify your military status, you'll receive a $50 prepaid card from Xfinity. Although it's not a monthly discount, Xfinity Internet has the cheapest plans on this list. Like, AT&T and Verizon, you can get a free internet plan from Xfinity if you qualify for ACP.
Methodology
That wraps up our review of the best internet for veterans. But here’s a little extra information for those who want a peak under the hood, so to speak.
When we write reviews like this one, we start by looking at all the market options. Using our vast database of internet plan metrics and our own personal testing experience, we narrow down the options based on the following criteria:
- Price
- Download speeds
- Discounts and promotional deals
- Overall reliability
- Upload speeds
- Availability
- Customer service
We make our recommendations once we’ve got a final list of the best providers. We try to make several recommendations so that every user can find an option that works for them. Thanks for trusting us as you look for the perfect internet plan!