Comcast-NBCUniversal says it’s expanding eligibility and access to high-speed internet service to thousands more needy Connecticut and U.S. households.
The New York cable-TV, voice- and data-services vendor, whose western New England base is in Berlin, said Tuesday its Internet Essentials now will include all qualified low-income households in its service area — some 191,000 households statewide.
Since Aug. 2011, Comcast says Internet Essentials has connected more than 8 million low-income individuals, from 2 million households, including nearly 92,000 Connecticut residents, for as low as $9.95 a month.
The expansion will add another 3 million users, officials said. Eligible residents also can purchase a personal computer for under $150.
In 2018, Comcast extended the program to low-income veterans.
“This expansion is the culmination of an audacious goal we set eight years ago, which was to meaningfully and significantly close the digital divide for low-income Americans,” said Comcast-NBCUniversal Chief Diversity Officer David L. Cohen.
To be eligible, low-income applicants must show they are participating in one of more than a dozen different federal assistance programs. A full list can be found here.
