Comcast is expanding the availability of its $10/month, 10 Mbps “Internet Essentials” again. The tier was created to give low-income families a chance to acquire an internet connection at a bargain price, and implemented jointly with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “Internet Essentials” also offers discounted broadband access to adults living in HUD-assisted households, even those without children. With the expansion, the service can now be used by an additional 1.3M homes.
“This effort is not only about building a bridge to help more Americans cross the digital divide, but it’s also about helping people use the Internet to climb up the economic ladder—to a better education and a better job that will help them achieve their dreams and help end the cycle of poverty,” Comcast’s Chief Diversity Officer David Cohen said. The program had its roots in the Comcast-NBC Universal merger, but criticism of the program’s existence solely as a public relations ploy has died down as Comcast has continued to improve and expand the project.
