Affordable High-Speed Internet is a Lifeline for Connecticut Seniors

The support of lawmakers to pass 2025 legislation will provide more residents with access to affordable internet service.

High-speed internet is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity and is essential for people of all ages to live, work, and learn in today’s connected world. For many, reliable internet is a lifeline that provides access to telehealth appointments, employment and learning opportunities, stay connected with loved ones, work with companies that only do business online, and have more independence at home.

In Connecticut, cost is the top barrier to high-speed internet access. Despite living in a state with expansive high-speed internet, many Connecticut residents – particularly those who are elderly or on a low income – are financially stretched more than ever and can’t afford to pay for the service. Inexpensive high-speed options for most residents are limited. Only 27.5 percent of Connecticut households have access to a high-speed plan under $60 per month; the average price paid is just under $77 a month.

Connecticut lawmakers agreed: internet access is a lifeline for seniors. Thanks to a new state law, community members of all ages may soon be eligible for high-speed internet at a price they can afford. By September 30, 2026, the Net Equity Program – passed in 2025 by the Connecticut General Assembly – will require internet service providers to offer eligible individuals to subscribe to high-speed internet that is capped at $40 a month.

Find valuable information and data in the state’s “Connecticut: Everyone Connected” five-year Digital Equity Plan report that establishes goals to directly address the needs that residents face, including:

Evidence in the plan that older adults face affordability barriers

• More likely to be offline or on slower service. Adults 60+ are twice as likely to report no home internet (13% vs 6% overall) and more likely to lack fixed broadband (24% vs 17%).
• Cost shows up in lived experiences. Focus group participants noted fixed incomes (e.g., Social Security) can make them ineligible for subsidies like Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), forcing some to pay market rates or choose slower/cheaper plans they find inadequate.
• Cost concerns cut across vulnerable groups—explicitly including the elderly. The plan’s focus-group synthesis lists cost as the first barrier and cites calls for more affordable plans and government measures so “vulnerable groups such as… the elderly” can connect.

What the plan proposed to do (relevant to affordability)

• Goal 3: Ensure residents have affordable options for getting online that meet their needs, with objectives to reduce cost as a barrier, increase device ownership, and increase subscriptions that meet residents’ needs.
• Tactics: Increase participation in affordability programs (ACP; Connecticut’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program low-cost plans), push information through trusted local channels (Community Based Organizations, workforce agencies, 211), and leverage community Wi-Fi/device programs.

AARP has been at the forefront of the fight for high-speed internet – because staying connected for seniors isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. The passage of the Net Equity Program legislation is a victory for seniors, and AARP stood with them and urged our lawmakers to help make it a reality. We encourage residents to thank their legislators for supporting the Net Equity Program by sending an email available here.