Program tries to cut gap in Internet access for Latinos

ATLANTA – Comcast, Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association (LISTA) and the Latin American Association (LAA) launched recently Internet Essentials, an ambitious and comprehensive broadband adoption experiment. The details were announced 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 ...