Comcast will continue to provide 60 days of free internet services to new, eligible customers for its Internet Essentials low-income broadband service. The offer had initially been set to expire at the end of this month, but now will be available through the end of the year.
The company also said it will continue to waive the requirement that Internet Essentials customers not have a past due balance through the end of the year. The service typically costs $9.95 per month.
Since 2011, Internet Essentials has connected more than 2 million low-income families to the Internet, serving approximately 8 million people. During that period, the program has grown from focusing on bridging the “homework gap” for school-age children to “being deeply invested in providing digital equity,” the company said.
“For almost a decade, Comcast has been helping to level the playing field for families in need so they can benefit from all the Internet has to offer. So, we’re happy to be able to extend this 60 days of free Internet service to new customers,” said Dana Strong, President of Xfinity Consumer Services, in a prepared statement about the free Internet Essentials offer. “Now more than ever, connectivity has become a vital tool for families to access educational resources for students, important news and information about their community and the world, telehealth applications, or to stay in touch with family and friends.”
As reported by Telecompetitor, in 2019, the program for low-income consumers provided discounted and subsidized laptops for more than 4,000 adults, students, and seniors; created or upgraded five computer labs and visited 15 cities for events. At the events, the company engaged with more than 200 nonprofit partner organizations and 180 elected and government officials to reach more than 6,500 attendees.
Nice work thanks