Skip to main content

Comcast’s Internet Essentials offers low-cost Internet to struggling families

comcast-internet-essentials-pic
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Comcast is taking steps to get more people using the Internet with a new program designed to offer in-home web access at a low cost for families on a tight budget. The company’s Internet Essentials package offers a $10/month package that comes with a number of other bonuses for those homes that qualify, a press release reveals.

Internet Essentials is designed to bring affordable Internet into low-income living situations. Qualifying families must have at least one child eligible to receive a free school lunch under the National School Lunch Program; the press release offers an example from the Department of Agriculture, that the yearly income on a household of three would have to fall under $25,000. Those who qualify will also have to be living in a Comcast-supported area, though those with an overdue bill/unreturned equipment and those who have been subscribers in the past 90 days are not eligible.

Recommended Videos

Those who do qualify will be fairly well hooked up for getting onto the web. The basic package of $9.95 per month (plus taxes and fees) comes with a promise of no price increases, activation fees or equipment rentals. Subscribers will also receive a voucher for purchase a “low-cost computer” for $149.99 (plus tax), access to digital literacy training and Norton’s Security Suite.

The release points to three factors that are seen as barriers to more widespread broadband adoption, which Internet Essentials is designed to address: a lack of understanding of the Internet, the cost of a computer and the cost of monthly Internet service. This program’s benefits hit on every one of those points. It isn’t a blazing fast connection — 1.5 Mbps download and 384 Kbps upload, according to the FAQ — but it’s cheap and it’ll get you online, which is the most important step here.

Adam Rosenberg
Former Gaming/Movies Editor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
Prime Day is over, but this powerful Dell laptop is still at its lowest price
The Dell Vostro 3530 laptop on a white background.

Prime Day is already over, but that doesn't mean that there are no more laptop deals for you to shop on Amazon. Here's one that caught our eye -- the Dell Vostro 3530 with 32GB of RAM for its lowest-ever price of $649, following a 28% discount on its original price of $899. This limited-time offer of $250 off may not last much longer though, so if you want to take advantage of this bargain, we highly recommend that you finalize your purchase for this device as soon as you can.

Buy Now

Read more
This Lenovo all-in-one computer is 30% off even though Prime Day has ended
The Lenovo V100 All-in-One Desktop Computer on a white background.

Even though Prime Day is already finished, there are still some excellent desktop computer deals on Amazon. If you don't have much space, or you just want to avoid clutter, you should take a look at the Lenovo V100 All-in-One PC. From its original price of $800, it's all the way down to just $560 following a 30% discount. The offer for this machine will only be available for a limited time though, so you need to act fast and proceed with the transaction immediately to secure the savings of $240.

Buy Now

Read more
The new Reachy Mini robot can let kids turn play into innovation
The Reachy Mini robot.

The Reachy Mini is an exciting new desktop robot aimed primarily at developers, educators, students, and enthusiasts, or basically anyone interested in creative coding.

There are actually two of them -- Reachy Mini Lite ($299) and Reachy Mini Wireless ($449) -- and both were developed by the prominent AI platform Hugging Face following its recent acquisition of Pollen Robotics. 

Read more