Comcast’s Internet Essentials Program Providing Internet to 100,000 Low-Income Families
Comcast’s Internet Essential Program, created through its deal with NBC-Universal to provide low-cost internet to low-income families seems to be working. In a press release today, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, says it now serves 100,000 families, 7,000 from Chicago alone, bringing 400,000 individuals online. Since its launch Comcast has: Doubled broadband speeds to up to 3 Mbps downstream [...]
Read MoreConnect America Fund Bringing Broadband to 400,000 Americans
For those of used to downloading apps in seconds or streaming video, it’s hard to imagine going back to the days of dial-up. But according to the FCC, nearly 19 million Americans currently lack access to broadband, meaning those people have access only to dial-up — or nothing at all. Enter the FCC’s “Connect America [...]
Read MoreNational Urban League: Broadband Internet is Fundamental to Civil Rights
The theme of empowerment permeated the “Job Creation and Education: Programmatic Efforts to Increase Broadband Adoption in African American Communities” panel held at the 2012 National Urban League Annual Conference. “I say without hesitation today, that broadband is the great equalizer,” said Federal Communication Commission (“FCC”) Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, who keynoted the panel. Clyburn, along [...]
Read MoreNYC Just Got More Access, Converts 10 Payphones into Free WiFi Hotspots
When you pass by a payphone do you wonder – why is that still here? Well you might not have to ask that question any more, at least not in New York. New York City has officially launched a program to bring free public Wi-Fi to payphones across the city. As of today, there are 10 Wi-Fi [...]
Read MoreDigital Divide in Mississippi Splits Along Racial Lines, Report Finds
African Americans in Mississippi often have fewer options for high-speed Internet and spend a higher proportion of their incomes on the Internet than whites in the state,according to a new reportunderscoring how the digital divide splits along racial lines. Mississippi ranks among the worst states in the nation in terms of broadband availability, and residents [...]
Read MoreMobile Multiplier or Mobile Divider?
The rapid proliferation of mobile devices is making it possible for not just communities, but also entire nations, to narrow the digital divide between society’s have’s and have-not’s. Not only are these mobile devices more affordable for lower-income individuals, they also are more accessible for individuals in hard-to-reach or under-served areas. In fact, IBM recently predicted [...]
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