Comcast Rolls Out Internet Essentials in Philadelphia

Hammering out Comcast’s new 15-year franchise agreement with the city of Philadelphia was a grueling 15-month process that saw plenty of back-and-forth between the cable/internet/phone provider and city officials. Part of that final agreement came to fruition last Thursday when Comcast rolled out Internet Essentials to 5,000 low-income families throughout the City of Brotherly Love.

Comcast has expanded its low-cost Internet Essentials program into Philadelphia for the first time.

Internet Essentials is a low-cost program that provides cheap internet services to households that meet certain qualifying criteria. Initially, the program was aimed at low-income seniors, community college students, and families with young children. It has since expanded to other low-income households. Comcast has expanded eligibility for Internet Essentials eight times in the last five years, as per the Philadelphia Business Journal. Per the Journal, “Internet Essentials includes download Internet speeds up to 10 Mbps, a free Wi-Fi router, access to free digital literacy training, and the option to purchase a computer for less than $150. Monthly prices can be as low as $9.95.”

There had been irritated mutters in Philadelphia for a while about Comcast’s glacial pace in bringing Internet Essentials to the city. The service provider had rolled it out in parts of Florida and San Francisco, ignoring Philly even though it was in the midst of franchise agreement negotiations. Now, with Philly benefiting from Internet Essentials, the service will also be unrolled in Miami, Nashville and Seattle. In Miami alone, it’s estimated that as many as 20,000 households could be eligible for the program.

Comcast has teamed up with HUD (the U.S. Department of Housing and Development) to bring Internet Essentials to HUD residents for the first time. HUD Executive Vice President David L. Cohen said: “Internet access at home is essential to succeed in today’s digital world on all fronts, from employment to education. Unfortunately, a cruel irony is at work, as the majority of low-income families, including those in public housing, who truly need the transformative power of the Internet are not connected.” Hopefully, with the expansion of the program, many households will be able to catch up with those already living in the digital age and access all the resources that the World Wide Web has to offer.