Comcast has once again expanded the availability of its $10, 10 Mbps "Internet Essentials" tier targeted at low-income households. According to the company's announcement, Comcast has partnered with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to offer discounted broadband access to adults living in HUD-assisted living units -- even if they don't have kids. With these latest changes, Comcast says the discounted service is now available to 1.3 million additional households.
Comcast says the program has connected roughly 600,000 low-income families since 2011.
"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 lobbyist and "Chief Diversity Officer" David Cohen said in a blog post.
The program began as an ingenious plan by Cohen to get regulators to sign off on Comcast's acquisition of NBC Universal, by promising to deliver discount broadband to low-income families with kids living below the poverty line. But the program saw some significant criticism (and even some street protests in Comcast's hometown of Philadelphia) about it being a bit of a PR show pony that's often cumbersome to qualify and actually sign up for.
To its credit Comcast continues to improve and expand the effort, noting that the program has been modified some 25 times at this point. Most recently, Comcast expanded the program to cover low-income seniors and community college students in select areas. As a side effect, the program consistently provides Comcast an inexhaustible infusion of good PR; much needed when you're arguably the least liked company in America.
Comcast's
full announcement and
this blog post have some additional detail.