[August 18, 2017] |
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California Leads the Nation in Closing the Digital Divide with Comcast's Internet Essentials Program
Today, Comcast (News - Alert) 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:
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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.)
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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.
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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 (News - Alert) 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 10 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.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170818005006/en/
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