Comcast Invests $300,000 to Advance Digital Equity in Portland

What’s the News? We’re making a $300,000 investment to advance digital equity and economic opportunity in the greater Portland area. Comcast is donating $60,000 and launching its latest Lift Zone (providing free, high-speed Wi-Fi service) to Free Geek’s new Center for Technology Education & Digital Equity and investing $240,000 in a digital navigation campaign. Why is this Important? The combined investments will help increase access and internet adoption through resource awareness, digital skills programs, and device assistance. Comcast’s contributions are part of Project UP, a $1 billion commitment to help advance digital equity and build a future of Unlimited Possibilities. This investment in Free Greek and in digital navigation resources will help increase college and career readiness, especially among underserved youth; connect workers to opportunities; provide upskilling for adult learners and those already in the workforce; and close the skills – particularly digital skills – gap. Here’s how the Comcast contributions will advance digital equity and support Multnomah County in 2023:

• Free Geek is receiving a $60,000 cash contribution and free Lift Zone Wi-Fi service from Comcast to help launch a new Center for Technology Education and Digital Equity – which will serve as Free Geek’s Digital Inclusion Hub. The center will provide digital skills education, one-on-one support, and digital navigation to help individuals and families most impacted by the digital divide. The center will also host community engagement events, provide office hours and study areas for participants, and host trainings for staff and volunteers whom Free Geek partners within the community.
• Digital Navigators investment of $240,000 to facilitate deeper partner engagement and community relationships to foster enrollment in the Federal Government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). A Portland-based street team will meet priority populations of eligible ACP customers where they are, in their own language, with a trusted voice. This grassroots support group will partner with local community-based organizations to plan and activate adoption campaigns, drive engagement among income-constrained communities, and support households in finding the right connection that best fits their needs and increase ACP sign-ups in local communities impacted by digital inequality.

“Free Geek is proud of our ongoing partnership with Comcast and collaborative effort to deliver technology education, digital navigation, internet access, and devices to communities in our region. We are excited to open The Center for Technology Education and Digital Equity in East Portland through the Comcast Lift Zone program, marking the first step towards our vision of advancing digital equity for those who need connectivity the most in our communities,” said Juan M. Muro, Jr., Executive Director, Free Geek.

 

“As the world becomes more digital, we must work harder than ever to help people get online and learn digital skills to make the most of the internet and all that it has to offer,” said Broderick Johnson, EVP, Public Policy, and EVP, Digital Equity, Comcast Corporation. “We’re so appreciative of our commitment with Free Geek, an organization who changes lives here in Portland, who believe in our same mission of closing the digital divide.”

  What Else is Comcast Doing to Help Advance Digital Equity in Oregon? Today’s contribution builds upon Comcast’s commitment to digital equity and programs designed to provide Oregon residents with internet access and skill-building services. Over the last three years, Comcast has provided $5.8 million in financial and in-kind charitable contributions to Oregon nonprofits aimed at:

• Making Internet Affordable to income-constrained households through a combination of our Internet Essentials service and the Federal Affordable Connectivity Program
• Increasing Awareness and facilitates Adoption through digital literacy classes from community partners and Digital Navigators
• Expanding Internet access by investing millions of dollars to bring our services to unserved areas and opening more than 100 Lift Zones in community centers in the Pacific Northwest

Lift Zones are a part of Comcast’s ongoing commitment to help connect students and families in need to the Internet so they can fully participate in educational opportunities and the digital economy. Since 2020, Comcast has collaborated with cities, community organizations, and local nonprofit partners to install Lift Zones with free Wi-Fi service in more than 20 community centers in Oregon.