[August 17, 2011] Low-cost Internet, computer vouchers offered to families Tweet Aug 17, 2011 (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Community activists and city and school officials say they hope a low-cost Internet service introduced by Comcast on Tuesday will help low-income families improve access to information and jobs. Comcast is rolling out Internet Essentials -- at a monthly cost of $9.95 -- nationwide for the 2011-12 school year. Families in the Pittsburgh area with at least one child eligible for free lunches at school will qualify. "There is a cruel irony at play here," said David Cohen, an executive vice president for the Philadelphia-based cable provider. He hosted a launch event yesterday with government and Pittsburgh Public Schools officials at the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, Downtown. The Internet is a gateway to information on health care, jobs and other vital topics -- 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies accept applications online only now, Cohen said. Although 60 to 80 percent of higher-income households in the city subscribe to high-speed Internet service, the number falls to 10 to 20 percent in low-income areas, he said. With Internet Essentials, families also receive a voucher to buy a small, netbook-styled computer for $150. Providing low-cost Internet access was a condition that Comcast accepted to get Federal Communications Commission approval for its merger with entertainment giant NBCUniversal this year. Comcast's regular Internet-only service now costs about $48 a month. Will Thompkins, director of community outreach for the Pittsburgh Project, which works with low-income youths in the North Side, said Comcast's offer has promise. "I would hope that it's not just used for games, but for research," he said. "It has the potential to add literacy, and engage young people with their parents and grandparents" as they use the Internet together, he said. The cost, though small, is still a concern for many families, along with the need for instruction, Thompkins said. Comcast said printed, online and in-person instruction in using the Internet will be given to families who enroll. Comcast has contacted 6,000 school districts nationwide to get promotion materials out as classes start. Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Linda Lane said nearly 70 percent of the district's 26,000 students qualify for free and lower-cost lunches. Schools, community centers and libraries provide students with Internet access, but hours are limited, she said. For students with no Internet service now, Comcast's offer "can be a game-changer," she said. Jim Jansen, senior fellow with the Pew Research Center and a Penn State information-sciences professor, said Internet Essentials might have a positive impact if Comcast gets the word out sufficiently to its targeted market. Many people, regardless of income, are using smartphones to access the Internet these days, he noted. Comcast hasn't added up the nationwide cost, but estimates that 2.5 million to 3.5 million households are eligible, spokesman Bob Grove said. Comcast has 750,000 subscribers in Western Pennsylvania and portions of West Virginia and Ohio that get some combination of its phone, Internet and cable TV services. To see more of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/. Copyright (c) 2011, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]