Low-income families could be eligible for 60 days of complimentary broadband internet access under a new program launched by Comcast Cable, according to President of Consumer Services Dana Strong.
“We also know that for millions of low-income Americans who don’t have Internet service at home, this uncertain time is going to be even more difficult to manage,” Strong said in an email to supporters. “As schools and businesses close and families are encouraged, or even mandated, to stay home, internet connectivity becomes even more important.”
The broadband offer is through an existing Comcast program called Internet Essentials that has been providing service to low-income households for nine years at $9.95 per month. Comcast said new customers will receive a free self-install kit that includes a cable modem with a Wi-Fi router. There will be no term contract, credit check, or shipping fee, the message states.
To enroll, applicants can visit www.internetessentials.com or call 1-855-846-8376 for English and 1-855-765-6995 for Spanish. The accessible website also includes the option to video chat with customer service agents in American Sign Language.
Strong said Comcast also is increasing internet speeds for the Internet Essentials service from 15/2 Mbps to 25/3 Mbps for all new and existing customers, which will be the speed of the service going forward. The new speeds will be rolled out nationally over the next few days, customers will not have to do anything to receive them.
“Our hope is that broader access and faster speeds will help all of our Internet Essentials customers more easily work from home, access educational resources, obtain important government health care alerts, and stay in contact with their families during this difficult time,” Strong stated.
