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Monkeybrains: The Internet Service That Actually Invests in the Community

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Monkeybrains tech Marius looking fly after helping people get awesome internet.

This post was made possible by the fine folks at Monkeybrains. Sign up with them right now and use the code “Stuart” to get a free month of internet service! 


I’ve raved about Monkeybrains before. I’ve talked about how they are WAY cheaper than corporate giants like Comcast and AT&T – they only cost $35 a month and don’t have any sketchy hidden fees.

I’ve also talked about how they have WAY better service than those other jerks. Since they are locally owned and operated in the Bay Area, when you call in, it’s not outsourced to some tech support farm in Utah. The person on the other end of the phone is someone just like you, who lives in the Bay Area and knows what you’re experiencing.

And I’ve informed you how they are Net Neutral as fuck and also won’t sell your data to third parties. That way no one has to know how much time you spend watching cat videos on YouTube.

I’m such a big fan that I’ve been using them for probably eight years now.

[Sign up with them right now and use the code “Stuart” to get a free month of internet service!] 

But what you probably don’t know is that, unlike other internet service providers, Monkeybrains actually gives a shit about people and community. How do they do this? I’m so glad you asked!

– They’ve brought gigabit internet to 8,000 low-income residents in Hunters Point, The Fillmore, South Bernal, and more!

– They’ve provided internet for essential workers at emergency COVID shelters, including six hospitals.

– They hook-up internet for most of San Francisco’s navigation centers.

And in their most ambitious move yet, Monkeybrains took over a failing venture-backed internet service provider that operated in Alameda and San Leandro, and made sure that thousands of people didn’t lose their internet service during the pandemic.

Paul on a roof on Franklin St. in Oakland making sure people have access to the internet

What happens when a tech startup fails? Does it leave all it’s customers hanging when it dissolves into the ether? In most cases yes, but when Common Networks went under Monkeybrains stepped in to save their customer base and rebuild their network. Over the last year Monkeybrains has worked tirelessly to transition Alameda and San Leandro customer from the unsustainable Common network to the lightning fast & reliable Monkeybrains Network

As we all know, for the past two years or so months, internet connectivity has been more important than ever, and Monkeybrains stepped in to salvage another network, bring it up to their shining standards, and make sure people could get their work done and obviously still watch Squid Game.

So, are you ready to ditch yours shitty corporate internet who doesn’t give a damn about anything but profits? I thought so. You can learn more and sign up right here. Don’t forget to use the code “Stuart” to get a free month of internet service!

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Broke-Ass Stuart - Editor In Cheap

Broke-Ass Stuart - Editor In Cheap

Stuart Schuffman, aka Broke-Ass Stuart, is a travel writer, poet, TV host, activist, and general shit-stirrer. His website BrokeAssStuart.com is one of the most influential arts & culture sites in the San Francisco Bay Area and his freelance writing has been featured in Lonely Planet, Conde Nast Traveler, The Bold Italic, Geek.com and too many other outlets to remember. His weekly column, Broke-Ass City, appears every other Thursday in the San Francisco Examiner. Stuart’s writing has been translated into four languages. In 2011 Stuart created and hosted the travel show Young, Broke, and Beautiful on IFC and in 2015 he ran for Mayor of San Francisco and got nearly 20k votes.

He's been called "an Underground legend": SF Chronicle, "an SF cult hero":SF Bay Guardian, and "the chief of cheap": Time Out New York.