LISTA, COMAST AND LAA ATLANTA unveil ambitious and comprehensive broadband adoption experiment.

Aug. 8, 2011 - PRLog -- ATLANTA – August 8, 2011 – Comcast, Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association (LISTA) and the Latin American Association (LAA) today launched Internet Essentials, an ambitious and comprehensive broadband adoption experiment.  The details were announced this morning by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, U.S. Congressman John Lewis, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and David Cohen, Comcast Corporation Executive Vice President during a press conference at Drew Charter School. The Internet Essentials program addresses three of the primary barriers to broadband adoption that research has identified – 1) a lack of understanding of how the Internet is relevant and useful; 2) the cost of a home computer, and 3) the cost of the Internet service. Available to 317,000 low-income families who receive a free lunch under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in 28 metro-Atlanta area school districts, the goal of Internet Essentials is to help close the digital divide and ensure more Americans benefit from all the Internet has to offer.

According to David L. Cohen, Comcast Corporation Executive Vice President, “The Internet is a great equalizer and a life-changing technology. Internet Essentials helps level the playing field for low-income families by connecting students online with their teachers and their school’s educational resources as well as enabling parents to receive digital literacy training so they can do things like apply for jobs online or use the Internet to learn more about healthcare and government services available where they live.”

“While America has increasingly become a digital nation, many Latino families are being left at a disadvantage because they don’t have Internet service at home,” said Jose Marquez, National President and CEO of Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association (LISTA). “It’s crucial that Latino families have Internet services at home to increase their chances of gainful employment and a quality education. LISTA is proud of the actions that Comcast is taking to bridge the technology gap in our community. We hope that other community and government leaders will join Comcast in providing technology training and support to Nation’s growing Latino community.”

Millie Irizarry, Chief Executive Officer of the Latin American Association, said, “We’re encouraged to see large corporations supporting our Latin community, especially as it pertains to education, and this new program is an excellent example of such an effort. The Internet is no longer dispensable, but an ‘essential’ item in almost every aspect of our lives from our education to our careers. It’s imperative that state and national businesses follow in the footsteps of Comcast and continue to find new and creative ways to enhance the learning experience for our Latin communities’ youngest citizens.”

The city of Atlanta is proud to pledge our support, but we can’t do this alone. We need parents, educators, community leaders and other government officials to join in this effort, spread the word and help increase broadband adoption in our community.”
 
Service Details:
Internet Essentials participants will receive:
•       Residential Internet service for $9.95 a month;
•       No price increases, no activation fees, or equipment rental fees;
•       A voucher to purchase a low-cost computer for $149.99 + tax;
•       Access to free digital literacy training in print, online or in person.

COMCAST AND ATLANTA MAYOR REED UNVEIL AMBITIOUS AND COMPREHENSIVE BROADBAND ADOPTION EXPERIMENT

Additional benefits include a complementary Norton™ Security Suite ($160 value) for comprehensive online security protection.

Eligibility:
A household is eligible to participate in the Internet Essentials program if it meets all of the following criteria:
•       Is located where Comcast offers Internet service;
•       Has at least one child who receives a free school lunch under the NSLP;
o   (As an example, according to the Department of Agriculture, a household of three would have to make less than $25,000 a year in income);
•       Has not subscribed to Comcast Internet service within the last 90 days;
•       Does not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned equipment.
 
Comcast will sign up eligible families in the program for at least three years and through the end of the 2013-2014 school year. Any household that qualifies during this three-year period will remain eligible for Internet Essentials provided the household still qualifies for the program until that child graduates from high school.

For general information about Internet Essentials, please visit www.internetessentials.com for English and visit www.internetbasico.com for Spanish. Educators or third-parties interested in helping to spread the word can find more information at www.internetessentials.com/partner.

Parents looking to enroll in the program can call 1-855-846-8376 or, for Spanish, 1-855-765-6995.

In Atlanta, Comcast also supports One Economy and Boys and Girls Clubs and provides courtesy Internet services to libraries and community centers throughout the metro Atlanta area.

About Comcast Corporation:
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq- CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information and communications products and services. Comcast is principally involved in the operation of cable systems through Comcast Cable and in the development, production and distribution of entertainment, news, sports and other content for global audiences through NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential and business customers. Comcast is the majority owner and manager of NBCUniversal, which owns and operates entertainment and news cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, local television station groups, television production operations, a major motion picture company and theme parks.

About Latino in Information Sciences and Technology Association (LISTA)

LISTA ( www.a-lista.org) promotes the utilization of the technology sectors for the empowerment of the Latino community. We are an organization that is committed to bringing various elements of Technology under one central hub to facilitate our partners, members and the community with the leverage and education they need to succeed in a highly advanced technologically driven society. LISTA Mission is to educate, motivate and encourage the use of technology in the Latino community and empowering them to bridge the digital divide.