Accessing the internet is vital in this day and age. With every person, government service, and business small and large associated with the web in some way, neither individuals nor families can afford not to have access to the internet, or even one computer for that matter.
Unfortunately, gaining and maintaining internet access is not always easy or cheap. However, Comcast is hoping to bring a specialized service to the residents of Londonderry that will change this.
Known as the Internet Essential program, it initially began as a joint effort with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a means of offering cheap internet access to those living in HUD housing units. In the six years that the program has been active, it has expanded immensely and is being offered to even more groups.
For starters, families can be considered eligible for the service if they have one child who qualifies for the National School Lunch Program or if the family receives HUD housing assistance. Beyond this, however, the program can also extend to seniors and community college students. Unfortunately, both offers are currently going through a trial program through larger cities, with the senior offer only in cities such as Boston and Philadelphia, while the college offer is only in Illinois and Colorado; they are expected to expand if successful, though.
It should be noted that in order to be eligible for the offers, applicants must also not have outstanding debt to Comcast that is less than a year old and must not have subscribed to Comcast within the last 90 days.
Specifically, the offer would allow access to a 10 Mbps connection for $9.95 a month with no credit check, no installation fee, and no term contract, as well as in-home Wi-Fi.
Internet Essentials is also offering affordable laptop or desktop computers for just $149.99 to those who are already signed up for Internet Essentials, all of which come with a 90-day limited warranty, the Microsoft Office Suite, and the Norton Security Suite.
According to Comcast’s five-year progress report on the program, it has already connected 750,000 families, or 3 million low-income Americans, to the internet at home. On top of this, roughly $300 million have been invested into digital literacy initiatives that benefit over four million people across the country, while 90 percent of those who use the Internet Essential program have been highly satisfied with the results.
For more information on the program, please visit internetessentials.com  or call 1-844-235-1572.