Adds Free xFi Platform for Parents to Protect
Children’s Devices and Monitor Online Activities
Continues to Offer 60 Days of Free Internet
Service for New Internet Essentials Customers
With distance learning plans rolling out across the country due
to the coronavirus, Comcast today announced a new program for
cities, schools, and nonprofits to connect large numbers of
low-income K-12 students to the Internet at home. The “Internet
Essentials Partnership Program” is designed to help accelerate
Internet adoption at a critical time. In nearly ten years, Internet
Essentials has become the nation’s largest and most successful
low-income Internet adoption program and has connected millions of
people to the Internet. It offers households low-cost, broadband
Internet service for $9.95/month, the option to purchase a heavily
subsidized computer, and multiple options for digital literacy
training. Comcast also announced today it is giving all Internet
Essentials customers its innovative xFi platform, which enables
parents to control and manage their children’s WiFi connected
devices.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200813005571/en/
Internet Essentials (Photo: Business
Wire)
Accelerating Internet Adoption:
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the “Internet
Essentials Partnership Program” has already collaborated with more
than 70 schools across the country. The program relies on
public-private partnerships and enables entire communities to work
together to coordinate funding to help connect K-12 students. The
program also includes two months of free Internet service for new
Internet Essentials customers. Recent partnerships with schools in
Chicago, Atlanta, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Portland, and Arlington,
VA mean more than 200,000 qualified students now have a greater
opportunity to get connected. Visit:
www.comcastcorporation.com/IEPP for more information.
“We’ve seen firsthand that low-cost Internet access is an
important part of improving digital equity and creating positive
opportunities for low-income students and families,” said Dana
Strong, President of Xfinity Consumer Services. “Through this new
partnership program, we are accelerating the efforts of cities,
schools, philanthropies, nonprofits, and private citizens to
collaborate and open the doors of Internet access for more families
in need.”
The initiative builds on Comcast’s recent announcement that it
will continue to offer, through the end of 2020, all new Internet
Essentials customers two months of free Internet service and it
will forgive back debt due so more families can apply.
Putting Home WiFi Controls into Parents’ Hands and Keeping
Families Safe Online:
With so many families at home, parents and caregivers need
controls to manage their home WiFi connection and their children’s
devices. So, Comcast is providing all Internet Essentials customers
free access to xFi, which is a simple, digital dashboard that
enables customers to set up and manage their home WiFi. With it,
they can see what devices are connected, set safe-browsing modes so
children can only access age-appropriate content, get notifications
about activity on their home WiFi, and have the ability to pause
devices for dinner or bedtime.
Partnering to Accelerate Internet Adoption and Address
Digital and Media Literacy:
As research shows, barriers to broadband adoption are more
complex than having access to an Internet connection, even when
it’s heavily discounted or free. It’s also clear that no single
entity can solve the digital divide alone. As a result, the success
of Internet Essentials is due to partnerships with more than 10,000
government and elected officials, school districts, libraries,
nonprofits, community-based organizations, and others.
Collectively, they help to address the full range of barriers to
broadband adoption.
Comcast also announced plans today that it will convene a series
of virtual national and regional summits this fall. Each one will
focus on several issues including: education, broadband adoption,
digital and media literacy and training, and Internet safety. In
addition, this fall Comcast will publish its annual Internet
Essentials progress report and relaunch its Internet Essentials
Partner Portal, located at www.internetessentials.com/partner, to
include case studies, research, and links to creative broadband
adoption solutions. Resources there will be made free for anyone to
access, including other Internet Service Providers and
nonprofits.
About Internet Essentials:
Since August 2011, Internet Essentials has connected millions of
low-income households to the Internet, most for the very first
time. During that period, the program has grown from focusing on
bridging the “homework gap” for school-age children to addressing
digital equity issues for all Americans. The program offers
low-cost, high-speed Internet service for $9.95 a month plus tax,
provides access to free digital skills training in print, online,
and in person, and includes the option to purchase a low-cost
Internet-ready computer. For individuals and organizations
interested in becoming a partner, please visit:
https://partner.internetessentials.com to order free collateral
materials.
To apply, go to: www.internetessentials.com using any
web-connected device, including mobile phones. The accessible
website also includes the option to video chat with customer
service agents in American Sign Language. In addition, there are
two dedicated phone numbers: 1-855-846-8376 for English and
1-855-765-6995 for Spanish.
About Comcast Corporation:
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and
technology company with three primary businesses: Comcast Cable,
NBCUniversal, and Sky. Comcast Cable is one of the United States’
largest high-speed Internet, video, 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 is global and 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. Sky is one of Europe's leading media and entertainment
companies, connecting customers to a broad range of video content
through its pay television services. It also provides
communications services, including residential high-speed Internet,
phone, and wireless services. Sky operates the Sky News broadcast
network and sports and entertainment networks, produces original
content, and has exclusive content rights. Visit
www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200813005571/en/
Media: Charlie Douglas charlie_douglas@comcast.com (215)
264-8020
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