California Leads the Nation in Closing the Digital Divide with Comcast’s Internet Essentials Program
August 18 2017 - 12:00PM
Business Wire
Company Again Increases Program’s Internet
Speed, Offers Free Access to Millions of Xfinity WiFi Hotspots, and
Expands Low-Income Senior Citizen Pilot Program in Santa Clara and
Fresno Counties
Today, Comcast Corporation announced that its acclaimed Internet
Essentials program, the nation’s largest and most comprehensive
high-speed Internet adoption program, has now connected more than
four million low-income Americans, in one million households, to
high-speed Internet service at home. The State of California leads
the country, having connected more than 150,000 low-income
households benefiting more than 600,000 Californians.
The Company also announced three key program enhancements:
- Comcast is expanding its pilot program
for low-income senior citizens from five cities and metropolitan
areas to 12 – including Fresno and Santa Clara Counties. (San
Francisco is already a part of the Internet Essentials low-income
senior citizen pilot program.)
- For the fourth time in six years,
Comcast will increase the program’s Internet service speeds, this
time from 10/1 Mbps to up to 15/2 Mbps. More speed was the number
one requested enhancement from Internet Essentials customers, and
this latest increase will improve streaming quality in the home (15
Mbps is three times the speed necessary to view a high definition
video), especially when multiple devices are connected to the
Internet at the same time.
- To help family members connect to the
Internet on the go and save money on their wireless bills, Internet
Essentials customers also will now enjoy 40 hours of free out of
home WiFi access per month to the company’s growing network of 18
million Xfinity WiFi hotspots. This WiFi access is being offered in
addition to the free in-home WiFi Internet Essentials customers
currently enjoy.
In addition, Comcast today announced a six-figure digital
literacy investment with five key partners in Santa Clara County —
African American Community Service Agency, Asian Americans for
Community Involvement, ConXion, the Silicon Valley Organization
Foundation, and Somos Mayfair. These investments will be used to
help connect seniors and residents of HUD-assisted housing,
including public housing and Section 8 vouchers, to the Internet
Essentials program. In addition, the Company announced a donation
of more than 100 computers for these organizations to give to
individuals who need them, as well as six-month Internet Essentials
Opportunity Cards to provide complimentary Internet service at
their homes.
Internet Essentials has an integrated, wrap-around
design meant to address each of the three major barriers to
broadband adoption – digital literacy, access to computer
equipment, and affordable Internet service. The program is also
structured as a partnership between Comcast and thousands of school
districts, libraries, elected officials, and nonprofit community
partners.
David L. Cohen, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief
Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation, made these announcements
in San Jose with six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee,
who is serving, for the second year in a row, as Internet
Essentials’ national spokesperson. Cohen also introduced Adamari
López, host of Telemundo’s Un Nuevo Día, who is the program’s first
ever national Hispanic spokesperson. Their visit in Santa Clara
County is part of a multi-city tour, which will run through
October.
“When we started this program six years ago, we never imagined
four million low-income Americans would benefit from it,” said
Cohen. “We also never would have reached this milestone without our
many dedicated nonprofit partners, elected officials, educators,
employees, and advocates who were all united by the belief that the
Internet is essential, not only to compete in the 21st century
economy, but also to be connected to loved ones and the world.
While this milestone is a wonderful moment to celebrate, it also
inspires all of us to keep going to connect even more families to
all that the Internet has to offer for education, jobs, healthcare,
news, information, and entertainment.”
López added, “I am thrilled to be joining the Internet
Essentials program as the national Hispanic spokesperson.
Fifty-five percent of Internet Essentials customers are Hispanic,
which shows how much they appreciate the value of the Internet
because it is a connection to their families and their culture.
They also value it because of what it means for education and
employment opportunities. I look forward to helping to connect even
more Spanish-speakers to the amazing resources this program
offers.”
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, visit
www.InternetEssentials.com or call 1-855-846-8376. Spanish-only
speakers should call 1-855-765-6995.
About Comcast
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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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170818005006/en/
Comcast CorporationJoan Hammel,
925-519-4874joan_hammel@comcast.comorJenny Gendron,
925-784-2730jenny_gendron@comcast.com
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