Comcast commits $1B over the next 10 years to reach underserved Americans in the digital world

Digital giant, Comcast, on the 10th anniversary of its Internet Essentials program, announced that it would invest $1 billion over the next 10 years to support low-income Americans with the tools and resources they need to thrive in the digital world.

The announcement comes side-by-side with a release of a 10-year Progress Report that showed the company’s collaboration with a network of thousands of non-profits, since 2011. Based on the report, Comcast has connected with more than 10 million people in America to broadband internet at home, the majority were those who were not connected before signing up.

“Ten years is a remarkable milestone, signifying an extraordinary amount of work and collaboration with our incredible community partners across the country,” said Dave Watson, Chief Executive Officer of Comcast Cable. “Together, we have been able to connect millions of people to the power of the internet at home, and to the endless opportunity, education, growth, and discovery it provides. Today, we are rededicating ourselves to this mission to ensure that the next generation of students in America has the tools, resources, and abilities they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world.”

Comcast’s $1 billion investment will include additional support for its ongoing Lift Zone Initiative, which establishes WiFi infrastructure in more than 1,000 community centers nationwide for students and adults; grants for nonprofits to create more opportunities in communities with low-income Americans, particularly in the digital world; new laptops and computer donations; more support for entrepreneurship; and expansion of its Internet Essential program.

The company estimates that these investments will impact up to 50 million Americans over the next decade. Comcast also estimates that students will be able to complete up to 25 million hours of digital learning to further address the “homework gap” at various Lift Zone locations by the end of 2021.

President and CEO of the National Urban League, Marc H. Morial in a statement commended Comcast for its active role in transforming “millions of lives by connecting low-income households to the power broadband.” He added that Comcast has been working with communities to close the digital divide, partnering with organizations like the National Urban League to close the digital gaps, homework gaps, and ensure that low-income communities get the necessary access to digital skills.

The Comcast 10-year Progress Report also captures the total connections Internet Essential has provided and other key metrics of the program which includes:

• Increased internet speed, from 1.5 Mbps in 2011 to 50 Mbps in 2021, about six times the speed without increasing the price of the program.

• Launch of its Lift Zones program which has a target to connect more than 1,000 community centers by the end of 2021.

• Launch of its Internet Essentials Partnership Program with schools, schools district, and other organizations to connect thousands of students to the internet during the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Developed an online learning center that includes over 200 digital educational training videos and reports available to everyone, including non-subscribers.

• Offered a 60-day free internet service to all new Internet Essential subscribers during the pandemic.

• Included more languages in its Internet Essential call center, up to 240 languages including American Sign Language, to help break language barriers.

• Expanded its employee network by an additional 3,000 Internet Essentials Ambassadors who volunteered their services to spread the word about the Internet Essentials program in their communities.