Dailycsr.com – 07 April 2020 – America is busy addressing the Covid-19 emergency, while Comcast Corporation recognises the “important role” it plays in keeping its customers connected to the world be it their families, workplaces, schools or the latest update about the development of the virus through its internet service.
 
While Dana Strong writes in an article:
“We also know that for millions of low-income Americans who don’t have Internet service at home, this uncertain time is going to be even more difficult to manage. As schools and businesses close and families are encouraged, or even mandated, to stay home, Internet connectivity becomes even more important”.
 
Comcast has been trying to find ways in which the company can be of help especially through its “Internet Essentials program”, America’s “largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program” meant for low income citizens. The programme has a “hallmark” flexibility, whereby the Internet Essentials can be adjusted according to the customers’ need. From, March 16, 2020, Comcast put in place “two substantial program enhancements” to help the low income families through the crisis period.
 
While, on March 13, 2020, Comcast informed, as mentioned by Dana Strong:

 

 
The company has tried to make the connection “as fast” as possible while keeping it simple enough for accessing the service, while on March 13, 2020,  it had added:

 
 
We’re also reaching out to our thousands of governmental and nonprofit partners to help us spread the word. Our hope is that broader access and faster speeds will help all of our Internet Essentials customers more easily work from home, access educational resources, obtain important government health care alerts, and stay in contact with their families during this difficult time.
 
 
 
References:
3blmedia.com

Dailycsr.com – 26 August 2019 – On August 14, 2019, the Comcast Corporation made an announcement to reveal its plan of expanding the initiative for bridging the chasm of “digital divide for low-income households”. This attempt forms part of its programme of bringing “digital access for all”.
 
Dell Technologies has also joined “Comcast’s Internet Essentials program”, which happens to be the “largest, most comprehensive, and most successful broadband adoption program for low-income individuals” in the nation. Both the companies will work to provide over two thousand five hundred “free laptops to students, seniors, veterans, and adults in need”.
 
Additionally, Dell Technology will fund to upgrade fifteen “computer labs at local nonprofits in different cities”, which includes “two senior community centers” located in Houston. In an earlier announcement, Comcast had informed that it was going to expand significantly its “eligibility for Internet Essentials”.
 
The said expansion marks a historic change for the programme as the company hopes to reach out “nearly seven million households” for providing “low-cost Internet service”, whereby doubling the previous figure of total “eligible households”. As per the present scheme “people with disabilities, new parents, and adults without school age children” too can avail the programme benefit.
 
Since 2011’s August, Comcast has provided internet home service for over “eight million low-income people”. At present, Houston has become the number one American city to have “overall participation rate in the Internet Essentials program”. While, the senior executive vice-president as well as the chief diversity officer at Comcast NBCUniversal, David L. Cohen stated:
“The research on the causes of the digital divide is very clear. One of those reasons is that many low-income households either do not own a laptop or cannot afford to buy one.  As a result, this initiative with Dell Technologies will help us connect more households to the Internet at home so students can do their homework, parents can look for and apply for jobs, and veterans and seniors can keep in touch with friends and family who may be scattered around the world.”
 
On the other hand, the VP of Dell Technologies’ “Giving and Social Innovation”, Jeremy Ford said:
“At Dell Technologies, we believe providing people and communities with access to technology is a critical first step to sparking the kind of innovation that drives human progress. We’re thrilled to be working with Comcast as part of its Internet Essentials program to not only connect more low-income households to the Internet, but also to provide them with the technology they need to thrive in a digital world.”
 
Comcast and Dell Technologies plan on surprising three hundred Houston locals in need by providing free laptops. Here are some of the details of the initiative, as mentioned by Comcast:

 
 
 
References:
3blmedia.com