T-Mobile’s Education Initiative Connects 3 Million Students

T-Mobile just announced that it connected over 3 million students in a single year through its free Internet program for school-age kids. This is a significant benchmark for such a recent educational initiative. 

Responding to the struggles many students faced with staying connected for remote learning, T-Mobile launched “Project 10Million” in September 2020, near the height of pandemic school closures. Project 10Million provides students enrolled in the National School Lunch Program with free high-speed data, free wireless hotspots, and at-cost devices. School administrators apply on behalf of their students, which helps maximize the program’s reach. In total, T-Mobile committed $10.7 billion towards its goal of connecting at least 10 million students by 2025.

Now with 3 million students connected in Project 10Million’s first year, T-Mobile’s investment is paying off, and it’s well on pace to reach 10 million students. This makes Project 10Million one of the largest and most successful private programs ensuring low-income persons get and stay connected.

Free State Foundation scholars support private initiatives by our nation’s broadband providers that boost adoption and narrow the digital divide. T-Mobile’s initiative is commendable, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic still impacting everyday life.

Comcast’s Latest Internet Essentials Expansion Includes Pell Grant Recipients

Yesterday, Comcast expanded its “Internet Essentials” program to cover Pell Grant recipients. Comcast will also donate $15 million worth of Internet service and devices, including 25,000 laptops.

These actions are the latest developments in Comcast’s long-standing pledge to connect more Americans. Internet Essentials is Comcast’s decade-old program for boosting high-speed Internet adoption among low-income persons, veterans, and seniors. Eligible subscribers get affordable home broadband up to 50/5 mbps for $9.95 per month. The program has had great success in narrowing the digital divide.

Free State Foundation scholars have previously shared news regarding Internet Essentials 10-Year Progress Report. This report highlighted the success of Internet Essentials and need for continuing its mission. Over the past 10 years, Comcast’s $700 million investment in Internet Essentials connected 10 million Americans to high-speed broadband. During that time, Internet Essentials was responsible for 40% of new Internet subscriptions by low-income families with school-aged children. And also in that report, Comcast committed another $1 billion to connect 50 million Americans over the next decade.

Expanding Internet Essentials to the roughly 7 million annual Pell Grant recipients will contribute to meeting this goal. The COVID-19 pandemic made many Americans deeply familiar with how critical connectivity is to achieving a quality education. And changes to learning methods such as hybrid classrooms will make affordability and adoption efforts more important than ever for education.

Free State Foundation scholars support private initiatives by our nation’s broadband providers to boost adoption and close the digital divide. Internet Essentials is such a successful initiative. Senior Fellow Seth Cooper highlighted the 10-Year Progress Report back in March. Senior Fellow Andrew Long covered expansions to the program in February. And Free State Foundation President Randolph J. May featured earlier Internet Essentials expansions in 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017.

The latest announcement from Comcast is timely and welcome.

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.

New Report: UberX Helps Low-Income New Yorkers

I’ve written multiple blogs explaining how the sharing economy provides access to services and income that many people would not have otherwise. This access increases the standard of living of all sharing economy users, but it has an even greater beneficial impact on low-income users compared to high-income users. (See here and here.) Free State Foundation scholars also discussed this important economic effect in our comments to the Federal Trade Commission back in May 2015.

Jared Meyer, Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, has authored a new report entitled “Uber-Positive: The Ride-Share Firm Expands Transportation Options in Low-Income New York,” presenting evidence that Uber’s service greatly benefits low-income New Yorkers. While Mr. Meyer’s report does not analyze which income group benefit more from Uber’s service, it certainly disputes the stereotype that Uber passengers are generally wealthy.

In a follow-up blog, Mr. Meyer discusses the popularity of UberX (Uber’s lowest-cost, non-luxury, and most frequently used service) in poor neighborhoods:

The largest increase in UberX rides from January 2014 to December 2014 was seen in zip codes with below-median incomes. Seven of the 11 zip codes outside core Manhattan (below Central Park North) that saw their numbers of rides grow by over 1,000% have below-median incomes.

Over the course of 2014, the historically low-income neighborhoods of Jackson Heights, Astoria, Harlem and Washington Heights all saw increases in UberX trips of over 1,200% — that’s more than 12 fold.

Mr. Meyer also disputes the stereotype that Uber is not popular in predominately black communities: “In the 29 zip codes outside of core Manhattan with one or more UberX pick-up per household during 2014, black households made up an average of 29% of households, while the average for all zip codes outside of core Manhattan was 27%.”

Mr. Meyer argues that NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s theory that Uber trips are creating congestion is exaggerated because in 2014 “there were around 175 million annual yellow taxi trips, and just under 9.5 million UberX trips.”

I think it’s fair to say that Uber and other ridesharing companies are having a positive impact in New York for people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and income levels. Mayor de Blasio should take note of this report and encourage Uber’s growth, not attempt to restrict it as he has tried in the past. (See this blog for more.)