Michael
Ferrie,
Comcast
Project
Manager,
checks
equipment
connections.
Comcast
has
installed
$1
million
worth of
routers
and
equipment
that are
responsible
for
transporting
all data
to/from
the
internet.
(Comcast
Photo)
Detroit
is in
the top
ten
cities
in the
nation
in
closing
the
digital
divide
with
Comcast's
'Internet
Essentials'
program
Comcast
Again
Increases
Program’s
Internet
Speed,
Offers
Free
Access
to
Millions
of
Xfinity
WiFi
Hotspots,
and
Expands
Low-Income
Senior
Citizen
Pilot
Program
in City
of
Detroit
DETROIT
- Today,
Comcast
Corporation
announced
that its
acclaimed
Internet
Essentials
program,
the
nation’s
largest
and most
comprehensive
high-speed
Internet
adoption
program,
has now
connected
more
than
four
million
low-income
Americans,
in one
million
households,
to
high-speed
Internet
service
at home.
The City
of
Detroit
is
eighth
in the
country,
having
connected
more
than
13,000
low-income
households
benefitting
more
than
52,000
Detroiters.
Across
Michigan,
which
ranks
seventh
among
all
states
for
Internet
Essentials,
50,000
low-income
households
have
been
connected,
benefitting
nearly
200,000
Michiganders.
The
Company
also
announced
three
key
program
enhancements:
•
First,
Comcast
is
expanding
its
pilot
program
for
low-income
senior
citizens
from
five
cities
and
metropolitan
areas to
12 –
including
in the
City of
Detroit.
•
Second,
for the
fourth
time in
six
years,
Comcast
will
increase
the
program’s
Internet
service
speeds,
this
time
from
10/1
Mbps to
up to
15/2
Mbps.
More
speed
was the
number
one
requested
enhancement
from
Internet
Essentials
customers,
and this
latest
increase
will
improve
streaming
quality
in the
home (15
Mbps is
three
times
the
speed
necessary
to view
a high
definition
video),
especially
when
multiple
devices
are
connected
to the
Internet
at the
same
time.
•
Third,
to help
family
members
connect
to the
Internet
on the
go and
save
money on
their
wireless
bills,
Internet
Essentials
customers
will now
enjoy 40
hours of
free out
of home
WiFi
access
per
month to
the
company’s
growing
network
of 18
million
Xfinity
WiFi
hotspots.
This
WiFi
access
is being
offered
in
addition
to the
free
in-home
WiFi
Internet
Essentials
customers
currently
enjoy.
In
addition,
Comcast
today
announced
it is
making
two
investments
with
nonprofit
partners
in
Detroit.
The
first
will be
used to
upgrade
the
Technology
Corridor
at the
Joseph
Walker
Williams
Community
Center
with new
computers,
smart
boards,
and
other
equipment.
The
workspace
will
also be
improved
and made
to be
more
inviting
and
conducive
to
collaboration.
This
investment
will
allow
the
Center
to scale
its
digital
literacy
training
classes
for its
1,650
clients.
The
second
investment
will
support
digital
literacy
training
for more
than
6,000
youth to
participate
in a
number
of
programs
at the
YMCA of
Metropolitan
Detroit,
including
college
and
career
readiness,
family
financial
literacy
training,
and
digital
arts and
media
classes.
Additionally,
Comcast
will be
sponsoring
a
computer
lab at
the Boll
Family
YMCA.
Finally,
Comcast
announced
it is
also
donating
more
than 100
computers,
along
with six
months
of
complimentary
Internet
service,
to
seniors
and
youth at
both
organizations.
This
integrated
approach
is part
of the
core
design
of the
Internet
Essentials
program
to
address
each of
the
three
major
barriers
to
broadband
adoption
–
digital
literacy,
access
to
computer
equipment,
and
affordable
Internet
service.
The
program
is also
structured
as a
partnership
between
Comcast
and
thousands
of
school
districts,
libraries,
elected
officials,
and
nonprofit
community
partners,
to
address
this
complex
set of
broadband
adoption
issues.
David L.
Cohen,
Senior
Executive
Vice
President
and
Chief
Diversity
Officer
of
Comcast
Corporation,
made
these
announcements
in
Detroit
with
six-time
Olympic
medalist
Jackie
Joyner-Kersee,
who is
serving,
for the
second
year in
a row,
as
Internet
Essentials’
national
spokesperson.
Their
visit in
Detroit
is part
of a
multi-city
tour,
which
will run
through
October.
“When we
started
this
program
six
years
ago, we
never
imagined
four
million
low-income
Americans
would
benefit
from
it,”
said
Cohen.
“We also
never
would
have
reached
this
milestone
without
our many
dedicated
nonprofit
partners,
elected
officials,
educators,
employees,
libraries,
and
advocates
who were
all
united
by the
belief
that the
Internet
is
essential,
not only
to
compete
in the
21st
century
economy,
but also
to be
connected
to loved
ones and
the
world.
While
this
milestone
is a
wonderful
moment
to
celebrate,
it also
inspires
all of
us to
keep
going to
connect
even
more
families
to all
that the
Internet
has to
offer
for
education,
jobs,
healthcare,
news,
information,
and
entertainment.”
Also
accompanying
Cohen
and
Joyner-Kersee
at the
Joseph
Walker
Williams
Community
Center
was
Detroit
Mayor
Mike
Duggan.
“Comcast
has been
a
tremendous
partner
to the
City of
Detroit
and we
applaud
their
work to
make the
Internet
more
affordable
and
accessible
to
families
and
seniors
throughout
the City
of
Detroit,
said
Mayor
Mike
Duggan.”
About
Internet
Essentials
Internet
Essentials
from
Comcast
is the
nation’s
largest
and most
comprehensive
high-speed
Internet
adoption
program
for
low-income
Americans.
It
provides
low-cost
high-speed
Internet
service
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.
For more
information,
or to
apply
for the
program,
visit
www.InternetEssentials.com
or call
1-855-846-8376.
Spanish-only
speakers
should
call
1-855-765-6995.