Xfinity For Low Income Families – The cable giant is boosting speeds to 50Mbps on its $9.95-a-month broadband service designed to help low-income families stay connected.

Marguerite Reardon started as a News reporter in 2004, covering cell phone service, broadband, citywide Wi-Fi, the Net neutrality debate and phone company consolidation.

Xfinity For Low Income Families

Xfinity For Low Income Families

Low-income customers of Comcast’s Internet Essentials broadband service will soon see their speeds doubled at no extra charge. The service, which currently offers 25Mbps downloads, will be automatically upgraded to 50Mbps from March 1, the company said on Tuesday.

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The upload speed will also change from 3Mbps to 5Mbps. The speed boost at no additional cost comes at a time when Americans across the country still rely on the internet to access school and work remotely.

The Internet Essentials plan costs $9.95 per month and is available to eligible low-income households. Families or individuals who have received federal benefits through programs such as SNAP, Medicaid or WIC are eligible. This is the second time this year that Comcast has increased the speed of its low-cost service. It upgraded the service to 25Mbps from 15Mbps in March last year, just as most of the country began to shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The increase is part of Comcast’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, the company offered 60 days of free service to college, elementary and high school students. It then extended the offer until June 30. The company also opens up its Wi-Fi hotspots for free. And in September it started the Lift Zone program to provide Wi-Fi access and educational resources to low-income areas.

Comcast started Internet Essentials in 2011 to help poor children who receive free or reduced lunch at school gain access to the internet at home. The program has been modified more than a dozen times to expand eligibility requirements to include low-income veterans and people receiving public housing benefits. In 2019, the company opened the program to all low-income households.

Comcast To Offer Free Internet To Low Income Families During Coronavirus Pandemic

In addition to low-cost monthly fees, Comcast partners with trusted community organizations to offer free digital skills training. Customers can also purchase low-cost computers as part of the program.

Comcast’s initial response to the outbreak is part of a larger effort among more than 700 other wireless and broadband providers, including AT&T and Verizon. All of these providers voluntarily signed the Federal Communications Commission’s Keep Americans Connected pledge. As part of this pledge, broadband and wireless companies promise not to charge late fees or disconnect customers who can’t pay their bills.

These companies then extended their pledge to June 30. At the time, Comcast also extended its free Internet Essentials offer to eligible households through the end of June. Although the free service offer ends in June, Comcast said it remains committed to helping low-income families stay online during the pandemic, hoping to eventually close the digital divide.

Xfinity For Low Income Families

“We’ve been on a mission to address digital inequality in under-resourced communities through Internet Essentials for a decade and the need has never been greater than now,” said Dave Watson, president and chief executive officer of Comcast Cable, in a statement. . “Our commitment has never been stronger, and we are dedicated to leveling the playing field and making a lasting impact for generations to come.” Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Limited to residential customers who meet certain eligibility criteria. Subject to Internet Essentials program terms and conditions. Additional professional installation. Advertised price applies to one outlet. Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed.

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Internet Essentials has connected over 10 million low-income households for over 10 years to fast and reliable internet. Get speeds up to 50 Mbps for just $9.95/mo — great for online learning, working from home, video calling and other needs.

You may be eligible for Internet Essentials if you live in an area where Internet service is available and:

Participate in assistance programs such as the National School Lunch Program, housing assistance, Medicaid, SNAP and others, or enroll or enroll in the Affordability Linkage Program (ACP) with .

Have not had Internet in the past 90 days unless you are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program with .

How To Get Free Or Discounted Xfinity Internet With The Affordable Connectivity Program

Have no outstanding debt on any Comcast account that is less than one year old unless you are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program with .

We understand that some families need internet speed to work, study and stream. Internet Essentials Plus has double the speed up to 100 Mbps and free equipment for $29.95/mo. No credit check. No cancellation fee. Chat with us to see if Internet Essentials Plus is right for you.

If you get Internet Essentials and enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), you can get your internet service for free because your ACP credit will cover your Internet Essentials bill. See if you qualify

Xfinity For Low Income Families

Internet Essentials provides affordable home Internet for eligible households ($9.95/mo up to 50 Mbps, or $29.95/mo up to 100 Mbps) — plus low-cost computers, free WiFi hotspots and free Internet training.

Comcast Extends Free Internet Offer For Low Income Families To June 2021

You can get your Internet service for free when you qualify and enroll in ACP and Internet Essentials or Internet Essentials Plus. Learn more at https:///free

• Eligible for programs such as the National School Lunch Program, housing assistance, Medicaid, SNAP and others, or enrolled or enrolled in the Affordability Linkage Program (ACP) with

•Have no outstanding debt to Comcast that is less than one year old (unless enrolled in ACP with )*

*The 90-day and delinquent debt eligibility requirements are also temporarily waived until December 31, 2023, for new Internet customers regardless of enrollment in ACP with .

Comcast Milking Acp For Every Penny While Setting Low Income/internet Essentials Customers Up To Pay Full Price When Acp Runs Out

ACP is designed to help low-income households connect to the Internet and stay connected. The program provides eligible customers of participating broadband providers up to a $30/month credit ($75/month for Tribal lands) toward Internet and mobile service during the program period. It will last as long as the Federal Government funds the Program, which is expected to take several years. The amount of credit depends on the rate for the selected service.

Eligible households can register for Internet Essentials and apply for ACP through . Learn how to get started in a few easy steps: https:///acp

Once you become an Internet Essentials or Internet Essentials Plus customer, you’re eligible to purchase a new Dell laptop or Chromebook for just $149.99 plus tax. Follow a few simple steps to get started. Marguerite Reardon started as a News reporter in 2004, covering cell phone service, broadband, citywide Wi-Fi, the Net neutrality debate and phone company consolidation.

Xfinity For Low Income Families

Comcast’s low-cost broadband program that was initially designed to get low-income families with children connected to the Internet expanded to include all poor people in its service area. Comcast

Affordable Connectivity Program

Comcast offers an affordable Internet Essentials program to all low-income households throughout its service area, opening the program to individuals with disabilities, as well as seniors. The program’s expansion will more than double the number of households that can access the $9.95-a-month service, bringing it to about 7 million.

The program was introduced eight years ago to help poor children who receive free or reduced lunch at school gain access to the internet at home. The program has been modified 11 times to expand eligibility requirements to include low-income veterans and people receiving public housing benefits. A pilot in several cities has also offered the service to eligible seniors.

This latest expansion is the largest to date and brings in people with disabilities, said Comcast Executive Vice President David Cohen a disproportionate group of digital experiences.

“According to research, people with disabilities are about three times more likely to say they never go online,” he said on a call with reporters Tuesday. “They are also almost 20 percentage points less likely to subscribe to broadband at home.”

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Cohen said this latest expansion is a culmination of the company’s goal, when it started the program in 2011, to “meaningfully and significantly close the digital divide for low-income Americans.”

“The Internet is arguably the most important technological innovation in history,” Cohen said. “And it is unacceptable that we live in a country where millions of families and individuals are missing out on this life-changing resource.”

News of Comcast’s expansion comes at a time when the Federal Communications Commission, Congress and President Donald Trump have talked a lot about the digital divide, focusing especially on connecting people in rural communities who lack access to broadband infrastructure.

Xfinity For Low Income Families

But there is also a digital divide between affluent and low-income households in serviced cities and suburbs. The divide is even worse for cities with the highest levels of poverty. According to US Census data, households living in cities with the highest poverty rates are up to 10 times more likely than those in communities with higher income levels to not have broadband at home. For example, in Palo Alto, California, or Bethesda, Maryland, where the poverty rate is very low, 94 percent of households are connected to the Internet. But in Trenton, New Jersey and Flint, Michigan, where poverty rates are well above the national average,

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