Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Comcast, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Did you know that only 63 percent of households with an annual income of less than $35,000 subscribes to broadband internet at home? That’s 18 percent less than other US households with an income of over $35,000. Thankfully, Comcast has a solution to this problem.
It can be really difficult when you are struggling to make ends meet. Often you have to make tough choices regarding purchases such as whether to buy groceries for the week or pay the bills. The last thing you want when you are in that situation is to have another bill. This is why Comcast has developed the Internet Essentials program.
Internet Essentials is the largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program for low-income families in the United States. What is even better is that this year the program is expanding to include the nearly one million low-income veterans in the Comcast footprint.
This program is in its eighth year, being developed in 2011, and investing more than a half a billion dollar to support digital literacy training and awareness and reaching more than 8.5 million low-income Americans. In addition, Comcast has sold more than 85,000 heavily subsidized computers.
In Pennsylvania itself, Comcast has given 452,000 low-income Americans in 113,000 households access to high-speed Internet at home.
The idea behind this campaign is to tackle each of the three major barriers to broadband adoption that research has identified including: a lack of digital literacy skills, the lack of a computer, and the absence of low-cost Internet service.
The Internet Essentials program provides low-cost, high-speed Internet services for $9.95 a month, plus tax; the option to purchase an Internet-ready computer for under $150; and multiple options to access free digital literacy training in print, online, and in-person.
Applying for the program is easy, especially with the easy-to-use mobile app. In fact, the app now accounts for more than a third of all enrollments. For more information or to apply for the program, go to the Internet Essentials website or call 1-855-846-8376. Spanish-only speakers can call 1-855-765-6995.
It’s important to spread the word about the new Internet Essentials program. Even if you yourself can’t use the program, we all probably know someone who may qualify such as a veteran, a family living in public housing, or even a family who qualifies for the National School Lunch Program. Just have them call the number above or visit the Internet Essentials website to apply.
Thank you to Comcast for working diligently to close the digital divide between those with Internet and those without, and to help bring Internet to the families who might otherwise not be able to afford it.
