Many smart phones can be turned into a "hotspot" for use by other devices. Depending on your provider and plan, this may be either free or a small additional charge to your service. If you are unsure about your plan, contact your provider for details.

If you know that your plan provides for hotspot use, this article by PCMagazine, How To Turn Your Phone Into a Wi-Fi Hotspot should help

Comcast announced it will be increasing speeds for the Internet Essentials program, and making the program free to new low-income customers for two months, amid the coronavirus outbreak.

In a letter, Comcast President of Consumer Services Dana Strong said that the change is for the millions of low-income Americans who don't have internet service during this uncertain time.

To sign up, applicants can simply visit www.internetessentials.com. The accessible website also includes the option to video chat with customer service agents in American Sign Language. There are also two dedicated phone numbers 1-855-846-8376 for English and 1-855-765-6995 for Spanish.

  USAC (a funding branch of the FCC) offers a program called Lifeline which provides discounts to qualified families on their home Internet service. To find out more about this program, visit www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/lifeline-support-affordable-communications.

Verizon offers Verizon Lifeline plans for home phone service or     

broadband (internet) service. The broadband discount is limited to    

Fios internet service at a speed of 18 megabits per second or above.

If you qualify for the Lifeline discount service, you are eligible to receive a reduced rate on your Verizon monthly bill. To sign up for this service, please read the attached PDF (English | Spanish) or visit their website at www.verizon.com/support/residential/account/manage-account/lifeline-discount.