Posted on 09/13/2011 8:03:48 AM PDT by WOBBLY BOB
Comcast, the largest cable operator in the Twin Cities and the nation, on Thursday will use St. Paul's Neighborhood House as the backdrop to unveil a program offering fast Internet access to low-income Twin Cities families for $10 a month. Comcast's program, called Internet Essentials, is a national effort to help bridge the "digital divide" for low-income families who cannot afford the high cost of Internet broadband. The program will enroll families for three years, but those families potentially could continue to use it until their children graduate high school, according to company officials. "We're transforming the way low-income households can adopt broadband," Comcast spokeswoman Mary Beth Schubert said. Officials from Comcast's Philadelphia headquarters will announce the program at Neighborhood House, a social service agency that has anchored St. Paul's West Side for decades. Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius and St. Paul Schools Superintendent Valeria Silva are scheduled to attend, Comcast said.
(Excerpt) Read more at twincities.com ...
So I have to pay more...a lot more...because I make more money?
I thought that’s why we were paying for libraries.
Comcast will jack up my rates to pay for this “freebie”. It would be better if these people had books and studied from them instead of surfing. Their idiot god Obama claims that everyone has to be wired by the Gov’t, that it is a basic human right. What garbage.
When they bought NBC ,this is one of the stipulations the Obama Admin put on the merger
So now we have a digital divide? Why can’t they go to the library or if it is important to have while they are in school, why can’t the school provide? Enuf already.
so, what? are they stringing up stings and dixicups throughout the hood? or is this a no frills product that comes in a plain brown bag?
Irritates the heck out of me; "look! I gots Internets, ain't she a 'bute!" - you access the 'net, you don't "have it"
Isn’t this what public libraries are for??
I am hearing a radio commercial in Macon, GA that actually says something like, ‘if Billy wants to get internet he has to go to the library...’
Oh. My. Dear. God. The humanity.
Isn’t that what we all had to do for generations? And now it’s an unconquerable burden? I never knew I was so tough as a kid. My local library was 15 miles (country roads) from my home and yet I some how made it there.
This program should be shut down. At a minimum they need to put a heavy filter on this that will only allow news sites and education sites. No shopping and no porn.
Comcast going to start providing the computer to use that internet connection... along with a big-screen TV, which is also (according to some) a “right”...
So - basically, all the real subscribers who PAY for their service (often at inflated rates) will be subsidizing these “low income” folks getting it at a cut-rate. More Robin Hood activities.
At least this is a corporation doing it of their own “free will” (or is it?), and not the government mandating it (again - or is it?).
The libraries in my county have tons of computers and the kids come in after school to use them. I would say 10% are doing schoolwork with the help of the internet and the others are playing computer games and looking at music and celebrity gossip websites
I just luvs me some “private/public partnerships”...
$10 a month. They’ll be bouncing payments within a few months.
And according to court decisions - libraries that receive tax dollars (which ones don’t?) cannot put filters on the computers. Freaks can come in an ogle at porn all they want - right next to little Johnny who is doing his 5th Grade homework assignment.
The service is 1.5 megabits down, as opposed to your 12 megabit service. $10/mo is really all that bandwidth is worth....
Give ‘em dial-up for free.
I’d suggest that in order to qualify for this, Comcast should get their consent to mine their surfing habit data (preserving anonymity) to see what they’re actually using it for.
I pay $59/mo for 12/2 Mbps down/up service. Comcast is not losing money charging $10/mo for 1.5/250 Mbps down/up so I seriously doubt your rates will go anywhere.
What I love about FR is the kneejerk reactions here....
We had a school board member in St.Paul caught perusing gay p*rn at a public library a few year back.
IIRC , when he was seen & chastised (ray of hope), he ran off.
They saw what happened to AT&T /T-mobile and are going to fall in line for DOJ to curry future favors.
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