Comcast today announced it will soon start enabling customers to sign up for its Internet Essentials Plus service at the company’s more than 500 Xfinity stores. The offering includes 100 Mbps speed, a cable modem, access to millions of WiFi hotspots, and unlimited data for $29.95 per month and is free to customers eligible for the low-income Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
Comcast is training customer service agents at its call centers to help eligible customers sign up for the Essentials Plus service and educate them about the ACP.
Customers eligible for the $30 monthly ACP benefit can apply it to any tier of Xfinity service or Xfinity Mobile service.
Today, eligible households can sign up at Comcast-owned Xfinity Stores in Denver, Houston, Memphis, Portland (OR), Richmond, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, the Twin Cities, and surrounding areas, to subscribe to Internet Essentials Plus.
“Over the coming months, additional store locations in these markets, and additional areas like Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Hartford, Indianapolis, Miami, Nashville, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington D.C. will also be sign-up locations,” Comcast said.
Comcast is also partnering with its Project UP network of thousands of non-profit organizations in communities across the country to increase awareness of, and participation in the ACP.
The company said it has distributed more than $1 million dollars in grants to support dozens of local non-profits affiliated with the Hispanic Federation and the National Urban Indian Family Coalition (NUIFC). Comcast plans to invest millions in these types of programs this year.
“We’ve never been more committed to closing the digital divide and helping people get connected to the Internet through Project UP,” said Broderick Johnson, Comcast executive vice president, public policy and digital equity, in a prepared statement. “By working with our partners at all levels of government and within the community, we can accelerate our efforts to ensure everyone has access to the Internet and the skills they need to excel in today’s digital economy.”
