Comcast Expands Internet Essentials Program to Include Low-Income Veterans

More than 130,000 veterans call Utah home, but unfortunately more than 7,000 Utah veterans lived below the poverty level in the last year, according to the United States Census Bureau.

At Comcast, we’re working to bridge the digital divide for all Utahans. We’re excited to share that for the eleventh time in seven years, we are expanding the eligibility of the Internet Essentials program to include low-income veterans.

Internet Essentials is the largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program for low-income families in the U.S. Since 2011, the company has connected more than six million low-income Americans to the Internet. Including:

• 88,000 individuals across Utah
• 20,800 individuals in Salt Lake City
• 10,800 individuals in West Valley City
• 8,400 individuals in Ogden
• 4,000 individuals in West Jordan
• 3,600 individuals in Orem
• 3,2000 individuals in Logan
• 2,400 individuals in Provo

Families all across the state, such as the Lake family from Midvale, Utah have benefitted from having the internet at home to connect to news, resources, educational tools, and their friends and family networks. Learn more about how the Lake’s have benefited from the program here.

“This program has had an enormous impact on millions of families and children who now have high-speed Internet at home, many for the first time in their lives,” said David L. Cohen, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer.  “We’re excited to extend that same opportunity to more than one million, low-income veterans.  Veterans have stood up for our country, now it’s time for us to stand up for them by providing access to life-changing digital tools and resources.”

Since 2011, Comcast has invested more than half a billion dollars to support digital literacy training and awareness, reaching more than 8.5 million low-income Americans.  In addition, the company has sold more than 85,000 heavily subsidized computers.

Comcast attributes some of the recent growth of Internet Essentials to its easy-to-use mobile application, which now accounts for more than a third of all enrollments.  The company has also redesigned its Internet Essentials Learning Center with new content from Common Sense Media and ConnectSafely.org.  The site now includes a variety of free videos, tools, and resources that can help individuals learn vital Internet safety and digital skills.

The move to extend Internet Essentials eligibility to low-income veterans is the second largest expansion in the program’s history. For details on how to apply, please visit: www.internetessentials.com/apply.

Internet Essentials has an integrated, wrap-around design meant to address each of the three major barriers to broadband adoption that research has identified.  These include: a lack of digital literacy skills, the lack of a computer, and the absence of a low-cost Internet service.  The program is also structured as a partnership between Comcast and tens of thousands of school districts, libraries, elected officials, and nonprofit community partners.

For more information, or to apply for the program, go to www.internetessentials.com or call 1-855-846-8376.  Spanish-only speakers can call 1-855-765-6995.