SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast today
announced it plans to conduct a pilot program for low-income senior
citizens in San Francisco as part
of Internet Essentials, the nation's largest and most comprehensive
high-speed Internet adoption program for low-income
Americans. Now entering its fifth year, Internet Essentials
has connected more than 280,000 low-income Californians to online
access at home, of which nearly 90,000 live in the Greater Bay
Area. California now ranks
first in the nation for Internet Essentials adoption, with the
program reaching more than 23 percent of its estimated eligible
population.
Since 2011, Comcast has made more than 25 key enhancements to
the program. Earlier this month, the Company announced it is
doubling the service's download Internet speed to up to 10 Mbps
downstream and providing a Wi-Fi router for no additional
cost. Customers will be able to power multiple devices
simultaneously and connect any Internet-enabled device, which could
help save money on wireless bills.
"We have made real and 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.
"Now, with our low-income senior citizen pilot in San Francisco, we are opening up a second
front in our attack on the digital divide so these seniors can get
connected to the Internet in their homes and use it to communicate
with friends and family, access healthcare and financial
information, and enjoy online news and entertainment."
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.
"Like every city across the country, San Francisco depends on the Internet to
provide fundamental services to its residents, including
information on governmental resources," said San Francisco Mayor Ed
Lee. "We have made great strides toward a larger
vision of connectivity for our City as a whole to bridge the
digital divide and ensure that our diverse communities have access
to innovation, which include expanding free WiFi access to our
public spaces including libraries and parks. Much more
remains to be done, and I thank Comcast for partnering with the
City to help us better connect our residents including offering
affordable Internet access to our seniors by expanding the
eligibility of its Internet Essentials program in San Francisco to include low-income seniors
over 65, and also training our older adults on using and accessing
technology so they learn skills necessary to succeed in the 21st
Century."
The Internet Essentials pilot program for low-income senior
citizens is designed to better understand the unique challenges of
helping them cross the digital divide and learn how to use the
Internet. It will be developed in partnership with the San
Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services, the City's SF
Connected Senior's Digital Literacy training collaborative, and
their three main nonprofit training partners: Self-Help for the
Elderly, Community Technology Network, and the Community Living
Campaign, in addition to other nonprofits. A separate pilot
program was announced on August 4 for
low-income seniors living in Palm Beach
County, Florida.
"Many may not initially think of senior citizens when it comes
to addressing high-speed Internet adoption and digital literacy,"
said Anni Chung, President and CEO,
Self-Help for the Elderly. "However, the Internet has a
tremendous power to improve their lives by better connecting them
with loved ones and restoring a sense of community and inclusion to
an often-isolated population."
Cohen was joined today by Katy
Tang, San Francisco
Supervisor; Julie Christensen,
San Francisco Supervisor;
California Assembly Member David Chiu, Anne
Hinton, Executive Director, San
Francisco City/County Department of Aging and Adult
Services; Aaron Low, Program
Manager, SF Connected; Anni Chung,
President and CEO, Self-Help for the Elderly; Kami Griffiths, Executive Director, Community
Technology Network; and Marie
Jobling, Executive Director, Community Living Campaign.
To receive the faster Internet speed, current Internet
Essentials 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.
Follow the news about Comcast California on Facebook at
Facebook.com/ComcastCalifornia and on Twitter @ComcastCA
Internet Essentials Investments
Since 2011, Comcast has invested more than $240 million in cash and in-kind support to help
fund digital literacy and education initiatives, reaching nearly
3.2 million people through national and local 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.
- Offered Internet Essentials to nearly 48,000 schools and 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, or for Spanish,
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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