Comcast Has Now Helped More Than Six Million Low-Income Americans Cross the Digital Divide Through Its Internet Essentials Pr...
August 13 2018 - 11:45AM
Business Wire
Company Expands Eligibility to Nearly One
Million Low-Income Veterans, Releases Seven-Year Progress Report,
and Relaunches Online Learning Center with New Digital Literacy and
Internet Safety Tools and Resources
U.S. Olympic Gold Medalists Jocelyne
Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando to Join Multi-City
Tour
Comcast today announced it has now connected more than six
million low-income Americans to the Internet through its Internet
Essentials program, which is the largest and most comprehensive
broadband adoption program for low-income families in the U.S. The
company connected more than two million people in the last year
alone, which is the largest annual increase in the program’s
history. The company also announced it will significantly expand
eligibility – for the eleventh time in seven years – to low-income
veterans, nearly one million of whom live within the Comcast
footprint. According to the United States Census Bureau’s 2016
American Community Survey, less than 70 percent of low-income
veterans have Internet access, and about 60 percent own a
computer.
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the full release here:
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Two kids using Comcast’s Internet
Essentials program to connect to the Internet. Internet Essentials
is the largest and most-comprehensive broadband adoption for
low-income Americans. (Photo: Comcast)
“This program has had an enormous impact on millions of families
and children who now have high-speed Internet at home, many for the
first time in their lives,” said David L. Cohen, Senior Executive
Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer. “We’re excited to
extend that same opportunity to more than one million, low-income
veterans. Veterans have stood up for our country; now it’s time for
us to stand up for them by providing access to life-changing
digital tools and resources.”
Since 2011, Comcast has invested more than half a billion
dollars to support digital literacy training and awareness,
reaching more than 8.5 million low-income Americans. In addition,
the company has sold more than 85,000 heavily subsidized
computers.
Comcast attributes some of the recent growth of Internet
Essentials to its easy-to-use mobile application, which now
accounts for more than a third of all enrollments. In addition, the
company today released a new seven-year progress report. It
contains detailed information about customer demographics and
insights, as well as a history of the program’s evolution and key
milestones. The company has also redesigned its Internet Essentials
Learning Center with new content from Common Sense Media and
ConnectSafely.org. The site now includes a variety of free videos,
tools, and resources that can help individuals learn vital Internet
safety and digital skills.
U.S. Olympic Gold Medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and
Monique Lamoureux-Morando, who were recently named as ambassadors
and spokespeople for the company’s corporate values initiatives,
will join Cohen on a multi-city tour to visit local communities and
raise awareness about the Internet Essentials program. Both were
instrumental in Team USA’s defeat of Canada for the gold in the
Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, and are passionate advocates
for gender equity.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Comcast to help close the
digital divide for families, students, seniors, and veterans,” said
Monique Lamoureux-Morando. “People without an Internet connection
at home are missing out. Students need the Internet to do their
homework. Parents and veterans need the Internet to more easily
search and apply for jobs and access healthcare information.”
“We know how important a home Internet connection is,” added
Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson. “In our lives, we’ve also learned
first-hand how important it is to stand up for what you believe in.
We want to encourage others to use the Internet to stand up for
what they believe in and to make the world a better, fairer place,
not just for themselves, but for the next generation, too. You
can’t change the world if you’re not online.”
The move to extend Internet Essentials eligibility to low-income
veterans is the second largest expansion in the program's history.
For details on how to apply, please visit:
www.internetessentials.com/apply.
According to the U.S. Census American Community Survey, 81
percent of all U.S. households subscribe to broadband at
home, but only 63 percent of households with an annual
income of less than $35,000 do. To attack that problem, Internet
Essentials has an integrated, wrap-around design
meant to address each of the three major barriers to broadband
adoption that research has identified. These include: a lack of
digital literacy skills, the lack of a computer, and the absence of
a low-cost Internet service. The program is also structured as a
partnership between Comcast and tens of thousands of school
districts, libraries, elected officials, and nonprofit community
partners.
About Internet Essentials
Internet Essentials from Comcast is the nation’s largest and
most comprehensive high-speed Internet adoption program for
low-income Americans. It provides low-cost, high-speed Internet
service for $9.95 a month plus tax; the option to purchase an
Internet-ready computer for under $150; and multiple options to
access free digital literacy training in print, online, and in
person. For more information, or to apply for the program, go to
www.internetessentials.com or call 1-855-846-8376. Spanish-only
speakers can call 1-855-765-6995.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and
technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and
NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation’s largest video,
high-speed Internet, and phone providers to residential customers
under the XFINITY brand, and also provides these services to
businesses. It also provides wireless and security and automation
services to residential customers under the XFINITY brand.
NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable
networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television
production operations, television station groups, Universal
Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit
www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
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Comcast CorporationCharlie Douglas,
215-264-8020charlie_douglas@comcast.comorRachel Zabinski,
215-531-4438rachel_zabinski@comcast.com
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