Comcast Announces Fifth Back-to-School Kickoff for Internet Essentials
August 04 2015 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
More Than 2 Million Low-Income Americans, From
500,000 Families, Have Now Crossed the Digital Divide at Home
Company Doubles Internet Speed, Offers Wi-Fi
Routers For No Additional Cost, and Announces Pilot Program for
Low-Income Senior Citizens
Comcast today announced several significant enhancements and
milestones for Internet Essentials, the nation’s largest and most
comprehensive high-speed Internet adoption program. The company
said it plans to double the service’s download Internet speed,
offer subscribers a Wi-Fi router for no additional cost, and
conduct several pilot programs for low-income senior citizens. The
announcements reaffirm Comcast’s commitment to help close the
digital divide for low-income families and bring the transformative
power of the Internet into more American homes.
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Since the program’s inception, Comcast has made 25 key
enhancements to Internet Essentials, and this is the third time in
four years Comcast has increased speeds for customers. The current
speed is doubling to up to 10 Mbps downstream, which is enough to
power multiple devices simultaneously. In addition, by offering
free Wi-Fi routers, customers will be able to connect any
Internet-enabled device, including tablets and smartphones, which
could help save money on monthly wireless bills.
“We have made significant progress toward closing the digital
divide for low-income parents and children across the country. In
less than four years, Internet Essentials has connected more than
500,000 families, or more than 2 million low-income Americans, to
the power of the Internet at home,” said David L. Cohen, Comcast
Corporation Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity
Officer. “With the increase in the program’s Internet speeds, the
addition of Wi-Fi, and a streamlined auto-enrollment process, more
families will have even easier access to the Internet and its
life-changing resources for education, employment, healthcare,
communication, and entertainment.”
The pilot program for low-income seniors is designed to better
understand the unique challenges of helping them cross the digital
divide and learn how to use the Internet. According to Pew Research
Center, just 47 percent, or less than half, of seniors (aged 65 and
older) have high-speed Internet at home. When it comes to income
level, only 25 percent of seniors with household incomes below
$30,000 have home broadband, compared to 82 percent of seniors with
household incomes at or above $75,000.
The first pilot program will take place in Palm Beach County,
Florida, where Cohen was joined by City of West Palm Beach Mayor
Jeri Muoio, Palm Beach County School District Superintendent Robert
Avossa, and Urban League of Palm Beach County President and CEO
Patrick J. Franklin to make today’s announcements.
“Senior citizens can be an afterthought when it comes to
addressing digital literacy and use of the Internet,” said
Franklin. “However, the Internet has a tremendous power to help
change their lives for the better by tearing down the walls that
geography may have put between them and the ones they love. It can
also help restore a sense of community and inclusion, bonds that
can weaken as we grow older.”
To receive the faster Internet speed, customers simply need to
reboot their cable modems. Existing customers who would like a
Wi-Fi router just need to call the dedicated call center and either
request to have one shipped to them for free, or they can schedule
a professional installation, also for no additional cost. New
customers will have the option to receive a Wi-Fi router when they
sign up.
Internet Essentials Investments
Through Internet Essentials, Comcast has invested more than $240
million in cash and in-kind support to help fund digital literacy
and readiness training and education, reaching nearly 3.2 million
people through national and local nonprofit community partners.
Through the end of June 2015, Comcast has:
- Dedicated more than $1 million in
grants to create Internet Essentials Learning Zones, where networks
of nonprofit partners are working together to enhance public
Internet access and increase family-focused digital literacy
training in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Fresno, Miami, and Seattle,
among others.
- Provided more than 41,000 subsidized
computers at less than $150 each.
- Distributed for free nearly 46 million
Internet Essentials program materials.
- Broadcast more than 7 million public
service announcements, valued at more than $90 million.
- Welcomed more than 3.5 million visitors
to the Internet Essentials websites in English and Spanish and its
Online Learning Center.
- Fielded more than 3.2 million phone
calls to our Internet Essentials call center.
- Made Internet Essentials available in
nearly 48,000 schools and more than 5,000 school districts, in 39
states and the District of Columbia.
- Partnered with 9,000 community-based
organizations, government agencies, and federal, state, and local
elected officials to spread the word.
About Internet Essentials
Internet Essentials from Comcast is the nation’s largest and
most comprehensive high-speed Internet adoption program. 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. Eligible families must
have at least one child eligible to participate in the National
School Lunch Program, including public, parochial, private,
charter, and homeschooled students. For more information, or to
apply for the program, visit www.InternetEssentials.com or call
1-855-846-8376. Spanish speakers should call 1-855-765-6995.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global
media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast
Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation's largest
video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential
customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services
to businesses. NBCUniversal operates 30 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/20150804006006/en/
Comcast CorporationCharlie Douglas,
215-264-8020charlie_douglas@comcast.comorMeredith Wertz,
215-970-8504meredith_wertz@comcast.com
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