Comcast Will Invest $1 Billion to Connect Low-Income Americans with its Internet Essentials Program

For a decade now, Comcast's Internet Essentials program has been bringing affordable broadband connections to low-income Americans. On the occasion of the program's tenth anniversary, Comcast has released a progress report that looks back on the program's accomplishments in closing digital divides. The report coincides with Comcast's announcement that it will dedicate $1 billion to the Internet Essentials program's future efforts bring broadband to 50 million more Americans with limited financial resources.

According to its 10-Year Progress Report, the Internet Essentials program has invested $700 million and helped connect 100 million Americans to the Internet. Some 40% of the growth in broadband adoption in Comcast's service footprint among low-income households with school-age children can be attributed to the Internet essentials program. Comcast also has provided subsidized laptops to 130,000 people with low-income. The program offers the option to purchase a low-cost computer for under $150. 

Since the program started, broadband Internet speeds have increased from 1.5 Mbps in 2011 to 50 Mbps in 2021 – with the discount service price holding constant at $9.95 per month.

Free State Foundation President Randolph May has written about the Internet Essentials program in prior blog posts, including in 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017.

Comcast's announcement that it will commit $1 billion to connecting low-income students, seniors, community centers, and non-profit organizations, including with WiFi technology, is terrific news. Many more low-income Americans surely will benefit from broadband Internet as a result of this significant private sector investment. Comcast deserves recognition for taking initiative and dedicating resources to bring more low-income Americans online. Here's to the next decade of the Internet Essentials program.

Comcast's Internet Essentials Plays an Essential Role

Encouraging ubiquitous broadband deployment is an essential part of any strategy to get more and more Americans connected to the Internet. And, of course, Free State Foundation scholars over the years have always had much to say regarding the public policies that encourage deployment.

But encouraging broadband adoption, especially among those segments of the population that lag behind regarding adoption, is an essential part of the "connecting up" strategy. It's fair to say that Comcast's Internet Essentials program has played -- and continues to play --an essential role here.

And today Comcast announced it has now connected more than six million low-income Americans to the Internet through its Internet Essentials program, which is the largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program for low-income families in the U.S. It said it has connected more than two million people in the last year alone, the largest annual increase in the program’s history.

And Comcast also announced it will significantly expand eligibility – for the eleventh time in seven years – to low-income veterans, nearly one million of whom live within the Comcast footprint. According to the United States Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey, less than 70 percent of low-income veterans have Internet access, and about 60 percent own a computer.

Private efforts like the Comcast program -- and others offered by other companies -- are often overlooked. But they shouldn't be. These private companies have invested billions of dollars in efforts to help close remaining "digital divides." This is worthy for acknowledgment -- and thanks.

Comcast's Internet Essentials Program's Milestones and Enhancements

Congratulations to Comcast on the new milestones reached in its Internet Essentials program, the nation’s largest and most comprehensive high-speed Internet adoption program. Today Comcast announced that it has now connected more than four million low-income Americans, in one million households, to high-speed Internet service at home. This is a significant contribution by Comcast to efforts by it and other private sector companies, to contribute resources and expertise to help close whatever digital divide remains.

Comcast also announced three key program enhancements:

• For the fourth time in six years, Comcast will increase the program’s Internet service speeds, this time from 10/1 Mbps to up to 15/2 Mbps. More speed was the number one requested enhancement from Internet Essentials customers, and this latest increase will improve streaming quality in the home (15 Mbps is three times the speed necessary to view a high-definition video), especially when multiple devices are connected to the Internet at the same time.
• To help family members connect to the Internet on the go and save money on their wireless bills, Internet Essentials customers will now enjoy 40 hours of free out-of-home WiFi access per month to the company’s growing network of 18 million Xfinity WiFi hotspots. This WiFi access is being offered in addition to the free in-home WiFi Internet Essentials customers currently enjoy.
• Comcast is also expanding its pilot program for low-income senior citizens from five cities and metropolitan areas to 12, including today in Miami-Dade County.

The milestones announced by Comcast today, along with the Internet Essentials program enhancements, are certainly worthy of note.