Submitted by Comcast
On the 10th anniversary of its Internet Essentials program, Comcast today announced it has connected more than 10 million people over the past ten years. Of that number, more than 15,200 are in Whatcom County. Bellingham comprised the bulk of that number, with 10,000 people connected through Internet Essentials over the decade. Internet Essentials offers broadband access for low-income families and individuals for $9.95 per month, along with digital literacy training programs and access to low-cost computers.
Comcast also announced today that it would invest $1 billion over the next 10 years to help further close the digital divide and give even more low-income Americans the tools and resources they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world. Comcast’s $1 billion national commitment will consist of investments in Washington state that include ongoing support for its Lift Zone initiative to establish WiFi-connected safe spaces in 80 community centers statewide for students and adults by the end of 2021; new laptop and computer donations; more than $750,000 in funding for local nonprofit community organizations to create opportunities for low-income Washingtonians; and continued investment in the company’s Internet Essentials program.
In addition to the total number of connections Internet Essentials has provided, other key metrics about the program, include having:
- Supported the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) K-12 Internet Access Program and developed an Internet Essentials Partnership Program that offers subsidized broadband service through six school districts in Whatcom County to help connect hundreds of students to the Internet during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Contributed more than $125,000 to Digital Equity programs in Whatcom County in 2020, including support for the Lighthouse Mission Ministries in Bellingham.
- Provided free access to the company’s 2,936 public Xfinity WiFi hotspots in Whatcom County to anyone who needs them thru June 30, 2021. The hotspots are available in outdoor and business locations, all of which can be found online atwww.xfinity.com/wifi.
- Offered 60 days of free Internet service to any new Internet Essentials customers in Whatcom County who needed to get online during the coronavirus outbreak.
- Increased the program’s Internet speeds six times, from 1.5 Mbps in 2011 to 50 Mbps today, without ever increasing the price of the program, which has remained $9.95/month.
- Built up an online learning center that includes more than 200 digital literacy training videos, guides, and reports that are free to anyone to use, including non-customers.
The Comcast commitments are projected to impact as many as 50 million Americans over the next 10 years. In 2021 alone, Comcast estimates students throughout the nation will be able to complete more than 25 million hours of remote learning lessons to further address the “homework gap” at the hundreds of Lift Zone locations that have already opened or will open soon. Comcast Lift Zones are an extension of the company’s Internet Essentials program, the largest and most comprehensive low-cost Internet adoption program for low-income Americans
This news comes on the heels of a series of initiatives announced during the COVID-19 pandemic that reinforced the company’s commitment to addressing the digital divide and the homework gap by upping speeds to 50 Mbps downstream without changing the program’s $9.95/month price. The company also continues to offer 60 days of free Internet service to new Internet Essentials customers who sign up before June 30, 2021.
What Is Internet Essentials?
Internet Essentials is Comcast’s signature digital equity initiative and the nation’s largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program. In 10 years, it has helped connect 10 million low-income Americans to broadband Internet at home, most for the very first time. Internet Essentials has a comprehensive design that addresses each of the three major barriers to broadband adoption. This includes: multiple options to access free digital literacy training in print, online, and in person; the option to purchase a heavily subsidized, low-cost Internet-ready computer; and low-cost, high-speed Internet service for $9.95 a month, plus tax. The program is structured as a partnership between Comcast and tens of thousands of school districts, libraries, elected officials, and nonprofit community partners. Comcast has never raised the price of the program. For more information about Internet Essentials and Comcast’s commitment to education and digital equity, please visit https://corporate.comcast.com/education. To apply, visit www.internetessentials.com or call 1-855-846-8376 for English or 1-855-765-6995 for Spanish.
