If you're struggling to pay your internet bill, read this
When it comes to finding information about coronavirus, there’s no shortage of online resources. That can include specific infection numbers in your area, tips on going back to restaurants again, when to expect a vaccine and just about anything else you can think of.
Sadly, there is just as much misinformation that you need to avoid, too, like a contact tracing hoax that’s spreading on Facebook. Tap or click here to find out what’s really going on.
But, to stay informed there’s one key element that we all need: internet access. Staying online has become a real problem for many who have been affected by the negative economic repercussions brought on by COVID-19, and that’s only going to get more difficult at the end of this month.
Keep America Connected Pledge is ending
Tens of millions of Americans are being kept home from work because of the pandemic. Many people, especially hourly workers and those paid by tips or by the job, simply won’t be paid.
In March, at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, a number of America’s internet providers and other tech companies promised to keep your service going even if you couldn’t pay the bill. T-Mobile, CenturyLink, Cox, AT&T, Cable One, Verizon — virtually every U.S. internet provider — promised they wouldn’t interrupt your personal or business internet service for 60 days, or as long as the emergency lasts, even if you can’t pay the bill. It’s called the Keep Americans Connected pledge.
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The pledge meant not only would late fees be waived but those struggling financially wouldn’t lose internet service. And many providers eliminated data caps under the pledge. Unfortunately, the pledge is about to end. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said Friday that the pledge expires June 30.
What does the pledge expiring mean to you?
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai sent a letter to Congress last week asking them to come up with legislation that would help keep consumers and small businesses connected over the coming months after the Keep America Connected Pledge expires.
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“I believe now is the time for legislation to ensure that doctors and patients, students and teachers, low-income families and veterans, those who have lost their jobs and livelihoods due to the pandemic and the accompanying lockdowns, those in our cities and those in the countryside — in short, all Americans — remain connected until this emergency ends,” Pai said in the letter.
This is why YouTube's video quality just got worse and how to fix it
Updated 03/24/2020 – YouTube announced that starting this week it will reduce the quality of video playback on its site for everyone around the globe for one month. This is an effort to ease the stress on internet networks due to the massive number of people online during the coronavirus pandemic. You can still watch videos in HD but you have to change the setting manually. We’ll tell you how to adjust this setting in the next section.
Internet providers will keep you connected, even if you can't pay your bill
We’re more reliant than ever on the internet to keep up with what’s going on in the world — especially in the face of a global pandemic like what we’re experiencing with the coronavirus.
There is plenty of solid information online to help track the spreading of the virus, along with what to do if you’re feeling symptoms. Tap or click here for ways to get a coronavirus assessment without leaving home.