Six million down. Many more individuals to serve. Thanks to Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, six million low-income Americans have been connected to low-cost home internet access. And with the recent announcement that we’ve expanded eligibility to low-income veterans, that opens up the program to another one million potential beneficiaries.
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Internet Essentials launched in 2011 was designed as a comprehensive, wrap-around program because we recognize that affordable internet access is critical to educational attainment for students and key to being an active and engaged citizen. The program offers high-speed internet access for $9.95 per month plus tax, plus the opportunity to purchase a Wifi-enabled laptop or PC subsidized by Comcast for under $150. And there is free digital literacy training available as well, which Comcast has invested more than half-a-billion dollars to support because we understand the importance of learning how to navigate the Internet and be safe online.
So, what veterans are now eligible to enroll in Internet Essentials? Any veteran who is receiving federal or state assistance. That includes a long list of programs including Medicaid, Pell grants, WIC, TANF, and many more. To see the full list of qualifying assistance programs, go to https://comca.st/2MoFaeB.
Doug Snow, a Comcast technician in Portland, is a veteran himself. He’s excited about the expansion of Internet Essentials to his military comrades. “Whether the vet is recently returned from Afghanistan or served during the Vietnam era or even before, there are many who are not on-line, and that hampers their education, their ability to get jobs, make doctor’s appointments, or simply participate in today’s society.”
Internet Essentials was originally designed to help serve families with kids in school that participate in the National School Lunch program. It was subsequently expanded to residents living in federally assisted HUD housing. “It’s been so gratifying to watch Internet Essentials grow,” said Rebecca Brown, Comcast’s director of Community Impact in Oregon/SW Washington. “More importantly, it warms my heart to hear stories about students succeeding in school, or parents finding and applying for jobs, because they have home access to the internet.”
To see if you qualify for Internet Essentials, go to https://comca.st/2MoFaeB or call 1-855-8-INTERNET.