According to Comcast's (NASDAQ:CMCSA) five-year progress report on its Internet Essentials low-income broadband adoption program, to date the program has helped connect 750,000 families, or approximately 3 million Americans, to low-cost, high-speed Internet service at home. The company also plans to announce more than $2 million in grants to community-based organizations that provide digital literacy training and Internet access.
In July, Comcast and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development expanded HUD's ConnectHome low-income Internet adoption program so that public housing and HUD-assisted residents living in Comcast's service area can apply for Internet Essentials, even if they don't have children. There are up to 2 million HUD-assisted homes in Comcast's service area, which account for approximately 40% of all HUD households.
The Internet Essentials Five Year Progress Report, available here, also indicates that Comcast has invested more than $300 million in cash and in-kind support to help fund digital literacy training and educational initiatives, reaching nearly 4.4 million people through national and local nonprofit community partners. Since the launch of the program, Comcast has distributed 54,000 subsidized computers and partnered with more than 9,000 community partners, including schools and school districts, community-based organizations, elected officials, and businesses.
Internet Essentials, introduced in 2011 in Chicago, provides low-cost high-speed Internet service for $9.95 a month plus tax; the option to purchase an Internet-ready computer for less than $150; and multiple options to access free digital literacy training in print, online and in-person.
In other Comcast news, Comcast Business has expanded its fiber network in Tallahassee, FL, to offer local businesses Ethernet services with speeds up to 100 Gbps and a variety of other business services, including Internet, voice, TV services and cloud-based computing solutions.
