Comcast: ‘Internet Essentials’ Connects 220,000 Low-Income Families

Comcast said “Internet Essentials” connects more than 220,000 families and a total of 900,000 Americans as the MSO's program for low-income households enters its third year.

Among a handful of enhancements to the program that include faster Internet speeds and a streamlined enrollment process, Comcast has expanded the eligibility criteria to include parochial, private and homeschooled students. With those additions, Comcast estimates that nearly 2.6 million U.S. families are now eligible for Internet Essentials. Internet Essentials, a voluntary commitment linked to Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal, targets low-income households with school-age children who are eligible to receive free lunches under the federally assisted National School Lunch Program. Qualified households receive discounted Internet service from Comcast at $9.95 per month, the option to purchase an Internet-ready PC for under $150, and access to a free Internet training. Comcast, which launched Internet Essentials in August 2011, said the program has enrolled upwards of 50,000 new families every six months, and has signed up 70,000 new families in the last six months alone.