A New Comprehensive Broadband Adoption Experiment in South Florida Will Be Unveiled at a Town Meeting Hosted by Comcast and Community Leaders to Discuss Digital Divide Options

August 02nd, 2011 - 10:24 am ET by Business Wire

New model program provides Low Cost Internet, Computer Vouchers and Online Training to Families with Children Who Receive Free School Lunch’s as part of the National School Lunch Program.

Comcast:

WHAT:		Miami-Dade County Community and Civic leaders and Comcast will host a town hall meeting to discuss a community approach to the digital divide. As part of the conference a new program that helps connect low-income families to the Internet will be unveiled. Children who receive a free school lunch as part of their enrollment in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) will now be given a first-of-its-kind opportunity to employ technology. The goal of this program is to help get more American families online and help close the digital divide.

WHO:		Miami-Dade County Superintendent of Public Schools, Alberto Carvalho; Miami Mayor, Tomas Regalado; Comcast Corporation Executive Vice President, David Cohen; Harve Mogul, United Way President and CEO of Miami Dade County; Guarione Diaz, President and CEO of Cuban National Council; Lydia Muniz, President & CEO of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Miami-Dade County and more.

WHEN:		August 4^th at 9AM

WHERE:		Phillis Wheatley Elementary, 1801 NW 1^st Place, Miami, FL

BACKGROUND: While America has increasingly become a digital nation, many low-income families are left at a great disadvantage because they don’t have Internet service at home. Internet Essentials has been designed to address this problem and help make broadband adoption a reality for more families. It’s the first program to address all three of the main 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 Internet service. Comcast is asking for help from parents, educators, community leaders and other government officials to join in this effort, spread the word and help increase broadband adoption in Miami-Dade County.

Contacts :

Comcast
Media Contact:
Spero Canton, 954-931-2906 (cell)/ 954-514-8620 (office)
Comcast PR Director/Florida East Coast Region
spero_canton@cable.comcast.com

Source(s) : Comcast