Here’s how Comcast could be a better community partner in Baltimore

Since Comcast is doing so well, one might think they could afford to be a good corporate citizen and community partner when it comes to bridging the digital equity divide. But apparently Comcast officials don’t have to play nice when they are the dominant game in town. Instead, the company has been at constant odds with Baltimore City officials and advocates over access to the internet services Baltimore children need for online learning. The latest friction comes over a data cap — Comcast prefers to call it a data threshold — that the company plans to put on its Xfinity internet customers starting in August, with additional charges for households that use too much service, more than 1.2 terabytes, and don’t sign up for unlimited plans. This, despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of people in Maryland still don’t have access to high-speed internet, including nearly 100,000 households — more than 40% — in Baltimore City, an Abell Foundation report found. We suggest Comcast do more, such as temporarily waiving internet fees for families who can’t afford even the Internet Essentials package. If City Council members and advocates are tired of battling with Comcast, perhaps it is time to look seriously at bringing other players to the market or even exploring the benefits of a municipal broadband system, or one run by the city.