Internet Resources for Oklahoma Residents During Public Health Emergency
During the current global health crisis, it is critical that all Oklahomans have access to adequate and affordable internet services. Schools throughout the state will transition to online course work to complete the academic year. Health care facilities will rely heavily on their telehealth programs to help ease the burden of patient care. An unprecedented percentage of Oklahoma citizens in the workforce will depend on the ability to telework for the foreseeable future.
In order to address these issues, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has requested that telecommunications and internet service providers throughout the country sign the Keep Americans Connected Pledge. By signing this pledge, providers agree to a) not terminate service to any residential or small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic; b) waive any late fees incurred as a result of the coronavirus pandemic; and c) open Wi-Fi hotspots to any American in need. To learn more about the pledge and the companies that have signed the pledge, visit https://www.fcc.gov/keep-americans-connected.
Additional resources have been compiled in order to aid residents and businesses in Oklahoma. These resources are listed below and the information will be updated as more details become available. The list on this page is not guaranteed to be complete nor should this be considered an endorsement for the companies listed.
The National Digital Inclusion Alliance also provides a list of free and low-cost internet plans at https://www.digitalinclusion.org/free-low-cost-internet-plans/.
If you are aware of any additional programs, please contact OneNet at services@onenet.net.
AT&T
https://about.att.com/pages/COVID-19.html#communities
Program: Access
Details:
- $10 per month (plus taxes)
- 10 Mbps
- No term commitment
- No deposit
- No installation fees
- In-home Wi-Fi modem included
To Qualify:
- COVID-19 Response: No termination regardless of ability to pay, late payment fees are waived due to inability to pay, and public Wi-Fi hotspots will be kept open for those who need them.
- Offering two months of free service to new Access customers who order by April 30, 2020. $5/month or $10/month thereafter, depending on your speed.
- Eligibility based on income and on households participating in National School Lunch Program/Head Start or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps) or that receive Supplemental Security Income (CA residents only).
- Applicant must be without outstanding debt for AT&T fixed internet service within the last six months or outstanding debt incurred under this program.
In addition, AT&T is giving free wireless data to school districts to provide to students as they adjust to learning from home. Through May 22, 2020, qualified schools (K-12, colleges and universities) nationwide activating new lines for school-issued tablets, 4G LTE-enabled laptops and hotspot devices will get unlimited wireless data service for free for 60 days to offer their students.
Additional offerings include:
- New customers in K-12 education, as well as healthcare and non-profit social services, can receive AT&T Office@Hand Premium for free to for up to 60 days. This provides fully integrated phone, fax, messaging capabilities and HD video conferencing for up to 100 users.
- Expanded low-cost option for home internet service is available to households participating in the National School Lunch Program and Head Start. Also offering new Access customers two months of free service.
- AT&T launched a $10 million Distance Learning and Family Connections Fund. The fund launched with a $1 million contribution to Khan Academy to help them improve and expand online learning resources to meet the growing demand from parents, teachers and students.
- AT&T is providing 60 days of free access and unlimited usage of Caribu, a video-calling application that allows family members to read, draw and play games with one another while at different locations.
COX
https://www.cox.com/residential/internet/connect2compete.html
Program: Connect2Compete
Details:
- Free for the first 60 days when you enroll before May 15, 2020
- $9.95 per month (plus taxes)
- 10 Mbps
- No term commitment
- No deposit
- No installation fees
- In-home Wi-Fi modem included
To Qualify:
- COVID-19 Response: New customers will receive the first 60 days of service free. Offer available through May 12, 2020. Remote customer service support at no charge between now and May 12, 2020.
- At least one student in grades K-12 lives in the applying household.
- At least one person in applying household must participate in one of these government assistance programs: National School Lunch Program (NSLP), SNAP, TANF or public housing.
- Applicant must have not subscribed to Cox High Speed Internet service in the last 90 days, have outstanding Cox bills or unreturned equipment.
- The normal requirements listed above have been waived during the COVID-19 health emergency.
T-Mobile
https://www.t-mobile.com/business/government
(866) 990-2351
The T-Mobile ConnectHome Plan is donating devices (tablets and hotspots), while supplies last, to public housing authorities, schools, libraries, and nonprofits to help bridge the digital gap for K-12 students. Participating organizations must purchase internet plans.
- Two-year program – plans must remain active for two years
- Plans starting at just $10.00 for 2GB of high-speed data on 4GLTE network
- No cost filtering solution with four access levels to protect your students
- No overage fees
- On-site and no-cost implementation services from experienced wireless professionals
- On-site and no-cost sales engineering support
- No-cost LTE signal boosters if needed within the home for government liable users
Verizon
https://www.verizonwireless.com/
- Offering new affordable internet plans for low-income households. Qualified customers can purchase Fios 200/200Mbps home internet service for just $19.99/month with a free year of Disney+ and no router rental charges for two months.
- Waiving wireless data overage charges to support customers who may be financially affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
- Waiving internet and voice service charges for current Lifeline customers for two billing cycles.
- Adding 15GB of data for no charge to the plans of wireless and small business customers on metered plans, 15GB of 4G LTE hotspot data to wireless customers on unlimited plans, and 15GB of data to Jetpack plans.
- Continuing current practice of placing no data caps on Verizon home broadband and home voice services.
- Waiving activation fees on new lines of service or upgrades.
- Offering unlimited domestic calling to wireless customers on limited-minute plans through April 30, 2020.
- Created a coronavirus hub page, https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus/, across the Yahoo ecosystem that aggregates trusted and reliable news and content.
- Tripled the data allowance for Verizon Innovative Learning schools.
- Enabled thousands of conference lines for federal, state, local and healthcare organizations to enable new, secure work-from-home strategies.
Additional Oklahoma Resources
Grand Telephone
https://grand.net/
(918) 253-4231
- Installing public Wi-Fi hotspots in areas with large parking areas for use from vehicles.
Cross/MBO
http://mbonetworks.com/
https://www.crosstel.net/
(800) 828-6567
- Telework customers may expand bandwidth capabilities at no additional charge by providing the telework directive from their employer.
Panhandle Telephone
https://www.ptci.net/
(580) 338-2556
- Waiving activation fees for installation of broadband services.
- Offering a promotional package for customers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak (loss of job, online school requirements, etc.). Package includes 30/5 Mbps for $30 for six months/whole-home Wi-Fi free for six months.
- Providing increased data limits on wireless plans and will offer credit on applicable overage charges.
- Waiving all late fees and will not disconnect customers for non-payment.
Totah Communications
http://www.totelcsi.com/
(918) 535-2208
- Providing two locations of Wi-Fi access in Oklahoma for the Caney Valley School System and area residents of Ochelata. Caney Valley has Wi-Fi access at the football field, and Ochelata has access at the baseball facility.
Hilliary Communications
http://hillcom.net/
(580) 529-5000
- 57 locations are being set up as community Wi-Fi spots. These locations will provide free internet daily between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
- Customers can upgrade their current speed at no charge until the pandemic passes.
- Free internet for 90 days is available to new customers with Pre-K – 12th grade children.
Suddenlink
https://www.suddenlink.com/
(888) 633-0030
- For households with K-12 and/or college students who may be displaced due to school closures and who do not currently have home internet access, Suddenlink is offering the Altice AdvantageInternet solution for free for 60 days to any new customer household within their operating footprint.
- After the first two free months expire, a customer may either cancel the service at no charge (which they can do at any time) or keep it as a regular paying Altice AdvantageInternet customer for only $14.99/month.
Sparklight
https://www.sparklight.com/internet
(877) 692-2253
- A 15 Mbps internet plan for $10 per month is available for the next 60 days. No documentation is required to sign up for this plan.
- Sparklight opened free Wi-Fi hotspots in Sparklight local office parking lots across its footprint for public use. The company will work to open additional Wi-Fi hotspots in other public areas in the coming days and weeks.
- Beginning March 13, 2020, Sparklight made unlimited data available on all internet services until May 12, 2020.
- Sparklight will waive late fees and defer payments for 60 days for customers experiencing financial strain as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Dobson
https://www.dobson.net/
(405) 252-1000
- Has the ability to offer DSL services within their telecommunications boundary and will provide access to internet services at no charge for distance learning purposes to families that cannot afford these services.
Pioneer Telephone Cooperative
https://gopioneer.com/
(888) 782-2667
- New internet customers are eligible for free installation, free equipment, and two months of free internet service
- Waiving new customer deposits
- Pioneer retail office locations have open Wi-Fi to public for drive-up hotspots
- Data overages forgiven for existing customers during this period
- Hot spot limitations are temporarily removed for cellular customers to allow mobile devices to become Wi-Fi hotspots
- Waiving late fee penalties and disconnects for unpaid services
Ozarks Electric Cooperative
https://www.ozarksecc.com/coronavirus
(800) 521-6144
- Temporarily increasing basic internet speed from 100 to 200 Mbps free of charge
- Working with school districts to provide internet hotspots at strategic locations to allow members to use
- Temporarily suspended disconnects for non-payment
AtLink
https://www.atlinkservices.com/
AtLink Services currently serves more than 15,000 Oklahomans and is dedicated to providing exceptional wireless internet service to rural communities. AtLink is Oklahoma’s largest wireless internet service provider and continues to grow every day.
- No contract or term commitment required
- First month at no charge
- Waiving of any customer deposits
- Unlimited data with no caps, no speed throttling or no overage charges
- As a member of the FCC “Keep Americans Connected Pledge”, AtLink will temporarily waive late fee penalties and disconnects for customers financially impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
Allconnect
- Cheap Internet: https://www.allconnect.com/internet/cheap
- Allconnect, Inc. was founded in 1998 in Atlanta, Georgia, with the goal of creating a simple marketplace for people to shop for multiple services, from multiple providers, all in one place.
- In addition to Allconnect.com, Allconnect also partners with utility companies across the country to help customers who are starting or transferring their electric service connect with all the other home services they need when they move.
- Keeping Americans Connected: https://www.allconnect.com/blog/keep-americans-connected-during-the-covid-19-crisis
I am using this link on a webpage for Tulsa Community College Library. I previously had this information as a Word document for users. I’m curious who is responding to comments or questions, so I’m leaving a question here. If someone needed help with internet resources, can they request help here? Liz Binger, Reference and Instruction Librarian, Tulsa Community College
Hi Liz, thank you for the comment. I’m glad this is helpful. Yes, individuals needing assistance can send an email to services@onenet.net. One of our team members will provide assistance. Best, April Goode, OneNet Communications Director
Does anyone know of any assistance for churches who are now live streaming their services?
Thanks in advance,
Summer
Hi Summer, Thank you for your question. Our team reached out to you by email. If you have not received our email, let me know. Best, April Goode, OneNet Communications Director
I just emailed services@onenet.net and it was rejected as a non-existent email address?
Corey, I’m not sure why it was rejected. I am going to email you directly, so you can let us know your question. Best, April Goode, OneNet Communications Director
I need to find a free or low cost internet provider in the Guthrie, OK area for an online student.
Hi Tonya,
I have shared your message with our services team. They will reach out to you by email to provide assistance.
Best,
April Goode
OneNet Communications Director
I need free or low home internet for my kids online classes ASAP.
Hello Detasia,
Our services team is reaching out by email to see if they can provide resources for home internet.
Best,
April Goode
OneNet Communications Director
My children were recently enrolled in online schooling and we do not have a hotspot and in need one immediately for classes! I’m panicking. I’m a single mom of two and lost my job. Can anyone help? Pls call me at 5803449180
Hi LaTonya, Thanks for your message. One of our team members will reach out to you. Hopefully we can identify some help for you. Best, April Goode, OneNet Communications Director
Hello, I reside in the Stillwater area but have very poor cell phone connection and no internet due the geographic set (trees and hills) uf of my surrounding area. There are no landlines in my area. Any suggestions?
Hello Gina,
A member of our services team will be in touch with you by email to see if we can assist with resources in the Stillwater area.
Best,
April Goode
OneNet Communications Director
I live in a rural area in southwestern Oklahoma and was looking for low income internet service maybe you can help
Hello Fabina, Thanks for your comment. I will have one of our team members reach out to you by email. Best, April Goode, OneNet Communications Director
Do you know of any internet providers that can provide internet service in Coleman, OK? I am having a hard time finding someone.
Hello Lauren, Thanks for your inquiry. One of our team members will reach out to you by email to provide assistance. Best, April Goode, OneNet Communications Director
I need internet for my student in rural Oklahoma Salina/Kenwood area.
Hi Sabrina, Thanks for the message. I have asked one of our team members to reach out to you by email to provide assistance. Best, April Goode, OneNet Communications Director
My electric got shut off during the ice storm in OKC I have no internet and I’m so far behind in my college coarse it’s not funny please help.
Hello Rashonda, I’m sorry for your difficulties with your internet service. I have asked one of our team members to reach out to you by email. Please watch for a message from us. Best, April Goode, OneNet Communications Director