Comcast announced today that it will continue to offer its free internet service to Internet Essentials customers until the end of this year. The offering was initially set to expire on June 30.
The Internet Essentials service was offered free for 60 days as part of Comcast"s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal was to provide additional support to students and families amid shelter-in-place orders.
Regarding the new extension, Dana Strong, President of Xfinity Consumer Services, said:
“For almost a decade, Comcast has been helping to level the playing field for families in need so they can benefit from all the Internet has to offer. So, we’re happy to be able to extend this 60 days of free Internet service to new customers. Now more than ever, connectivity has become a vital tool for families to access educational resources for students, important news and information about their community and the world, telehealth applications, or to stay in touch with family and friends.”
Comcast will also continue to waive the requirement for customers to not have a past due balance in order to qualify for the service. Customers can avail of Internet Essentials for free until the end of 2020 even if they have a pending balance with Comcast.
The service kicked off in 2011 to provide internet access to low-income families for $9.95 a month. Comcast claims it has already connected approximately eight million people to the web through the program.