Comcast And CA Attorney General Harris, SF Mayor Lee, Former NFL
Coach Tony Dungy Kick Off Year Two Of The Groundbreaking Internet
Essentials Program Designed To Help Close The Digital Divide
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- California
Attorney General Kamala Harris,
Mayor Ed Lee, Former NFL Coach
Tony Dungy and Comcast Executive
Vice President, David L. Cohen today
announced year two of Internet Essentials, an ambitious and
comprehensive broadband adoption program designed to help close the
digital divide for low-income Americans. In its first full
year of availability, more than 100,000 families or more than
400,000 Americans are now online and Comcast continues to enhance
the program with new features and processes designed to accelerate
enrollment in the program.
"San Francisco is the
Innovation Capital of the World and we are making sure everyone in
our City from our youth to our seniors are able to participate,"
said Mayor Ed Lee. "I'm proud
of the progress we have made, but we still have more to do to
bridge the digital divide."
David L. Cohen, Comcast
Corporation Executive Vice President, added, "I'd like to
congratulate Mayor Lee for committing to connect children and
families to the internet at school and home to ensure their success
in school and beyond. We thank Mayor Lee for being an
ambassador of Internet Essentials to empower students and families
with access to the endless resources the Internet has to
offer."
New in 2012:
Since Internet Essentials launched, Comcast has made a number of
program enhancements including:
- Expanded eligibility criteria to include families with
children eligible to receive reduced price school lunches under the
National School Lunch Program. This means nearly 300,000
additional households are now eligible for the program, bringing
the total to 2.3 million eligible families;
- Doubled broadband speeds to up to 3 Mbps downstream and
up to 768 Kbps upstream;
- Upgraded the free Internet safety software to include
the Constant Guard Protection Suite, which includes top-rated
Norton Security Suite, identity theft protection and more;
- Enriched digital literacy training efforts both online
and in-person, including offering a series of short videos,
featuring NBC and Telemundo news personalities Al Roker, Kate
Snow, Jenna Wolfe and
Jose Diaz-Balart, discussing how to
use job search tools and social networking site as well as tips for
what parents should know about cyber bullying;
- Streamlined the approval process by providing an instant
approval process for all students who attend schools with the
highest percentage of NSLP participation, which includes Provision
2 schools;
- Introduced a bulk order program that empowers
community-based organizations to purchase Internet Essentials
accounts so they can connect the eligible families they serve.
Internet Essentials Program Details:
Internet Essentials addresses three primary barriers to
broadband adoption that research has identified – a lack of
understanding of how the Internet is relevant and useful, the cost
of a home computer and the cost of the Internet service.
Program participants receive:
- Residential Internet service for $9.95 a month plus applicable taxes;
- No price increases, no activation fees, or equipment rental
fees;
- A voucher to purchase a low-cost computer for $149.99 plus tax; and
- Access to free digital literacy training in print, online and
in-person.
A household is eligible to participate if it meets all of the
following criteria:
- Is located where Comcast offers Internet service;
- Has at least one child who is eligible to receive a free or
reduced school lunch under the NSLP;
- Has not subscribed to Comcast Internet service within the last
90 days;
- Does not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned
equipment.
Comcast will sign up eligible families in the program for at
least three years, through the end of the 2013-2014 school
year. Any household that qualifies during this three-year
period will remain eligible for Internet Essentials if at least one
child eligible for a free or reduced lunch remains living in the
household.
In California, Comcast is
working with a growing network of community based organizations to
spread the word about Internet Essentials and provide digital
literacy training. Those organizations include: California
School Library Association, Center for Training & Careers,
Greater Sacramento Urban League, K to College, MOUSE Squad and
Reading & Beyond.
For general information about Internet Essentials, please visit
www.internetessentials.com for English and visit
www.internetbasico.com for Spanish. Educators or third-parties
interested in helping to spread the word can find more information
at www.internetessentials.com/partner. Parents looking to enroll in
the program can call 1-855-846-8376 or, for Spanish,
1-855-765-6995.
About Comcast Corporation:
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is
one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information
and communications products and services. Comcast is principally
involved in the operation of cable systems through Comcast Cable
and in the development, production and distribution of
entertainment, news, sports and other content for global audiences
through NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest
video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential and
business customers. Comcast is the majority owner and manager of
NBCUniversal, which owns and operates entertainment and news cable
networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, local
television station groups, television production operations, a
major motion picture company and theme parks.
SOURCE Comcast Corporation