Comcast announced today that any tier of its Xfinity Internet service is eligible for the $30 a month benefit through the company’s participation in the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
ACP pays up to $30 a month toward the cost of broadband for low-income households ($75 monthly on tribal lands) and offers up to $100 per low-income households toward the cost of a tablet, laptop or desktop computer, provided that the household contributes between $10 and $50 toward the cost of the device. Ten million people had enrolled in the program as of mid-January.
AT&T earlier announced its participation in the program.
To receive the benefit from Comcast, customers can sign up for Xfinity Essentials Plus service, which will cost nothing after the ACP credit. Essentials Plus, which normally costs $29.95 monthly, offers 100 Mbps download speeds, a cable modem and a WiFi router. Customers also can use their ACP discount toward Xfinity Mobile.
Comcast noted that its participation in the program extends the company’s work with government, community partners, and businesses to help low-income households connect to the Internet.
“As a company and a society, it is imperative that we work together to help people connect to the transformative power of the Internet both at home and on the go,” said Broderick Johnson, Comcast executive vice president, public policy and digital equity, in a prepared statement. “The Affordable Connectivity Program is a once in a lifetime opportunity that Comcast is proud to support. Connectivity is just the beginning, however. We will continue to partner with nonprofit organizations across the country to deliver digital literacy skills training so more people can learn how to take full advantage of everything the Internet has to offer.”
Where is Spectrum on this?
I’m 63 and disabled, I receive Medicaid/Medicare, SSDI, and SNAP/EBT. In other words I am a low income elderly American. So please someone tell me why my cost for Comcast/Xfinity internet service has increased 145% since I qualified for EBB/ACP. Comcast advertises that internet service for individuals in my situation can receive free internet service if they qualify for ACP. Well Comcast/Xfinity receives my $30.00 per month ACP benefit and bills me $19.00 in addition to this government benefit. My bill, without notice mind you, increased from $20.00 to $49.00 a month, a 145% increase.
Effectively Comcast/Xfinity is getting a free $30.00 from the government every month. How is this not false advertising? Predatory marketing? Defrauding the federal government? I have been attempting to speak with a Comcast/Xfinity agent for the past 2 days now only to be run around in circles by their automated phone setup until I am finally disconnected. Last night I was on hold for well over 40 minutes only to finally hear an automated response tell me that the dept I was attempting to reach had closed for the day hours earlier. I have been waiting right now for the past 30 minutes for an agent to supposedly call me, having been told “an agent will call you at this number in the next few minutes.”
So can anyone out there explain why Comcast/Xfinity claims to be helping the poor get connected to the digital world when from my view point they are only helping themselves to greater profits?
Wow I was wondering why I somehow had an outstanding balance after signing up using the program, I now know the knowledge to share so a limited number may get ripped off and taken from unethical business practice amongest poor employee training or possibly even making deceptive sales practice instead of knowledgeable customer service that helps the customer their billing systems which gets seperated from one (mobile/wifi) which customer service isn’t taught trained of proper process inside this billion dollar company. Never enroll with autopay as there pre paid mobile service will get billed as if Your on contract over time or like you bought a device with a new plan. Pre paid service that has no request from the customer of leaving service intact that continues to try and charge the card on file like xfinity comcast has done to many into the 100’s of dollars for months without any service wanted or requested this is A ponzi fraud low life scam when your a billion dollar company along with deceptive practice taught to customer service who are unknowledgeable that waste time of the many that have requested service at one time.. accountability and more truth needs to shed light on this which I am preparing a edited video report on the real life experience being ripped off by Xfinity Comcast